More Than It Meets the Eyes
by NinjaFalcon90
Summary: Ike Greil feels that he is the unluckiest teenager alive in the world. His entire family decided to move from the exciting city Crimea to a boring town called Smashville. However, his view on his new life changes when he meets a red-haired, timid orphan. Rated T just to be safe, AU.
1. Prologue

Shouts, loud footsteps, and bangs. That was what the red-haired boy only heard as he hurried down the shadowy hallway. The darkness around every corner made his sixth sense tingle. Thanks to the sudden blackout, he managed to escape from his cage and make a quick escape. This was it! This might be the only chance in his life! If he failed to escape, security was going to shut and lock the window of freedom!

"Where is he?!" an angry voice shouted, causing the boy to jump and freeze in his path. The boy's cardinal hair whipped in the air as he glanced around his surroundings.

"I'll check this hallway! You guys check the others!" another voice ordered.

The boy looked behind him and saw beams of light emitting large glowing circles on the walls. Footsteps echoing down the hallway caused him to tremble in fear. Feeling adrenaline rush through his veins, the boy hurried down the hallway towards an exit, just as when two men shone their flashlights on him.

"He's getting away!" one of the men shouted in alarm.

At that point, everything was a bluff of colors and mixture of sounds. The only things the boy recalled was pulling the door open, the frightening, monstrous voices shouting and yelling at him to come back, and hurriedly running down a lot towards a street, which was fenced off.

"_Run! Run! Run! Run! Don't look back or they will catch you!"_The boy's senses screamed as he climbed over the barbed fence. He gasped in pain when a barbed wire dug through his long-sleeved shirt into his arm. _"Ignore it! It's nothing!"_

Running into the darkness towards nowhere was the only thing the boy remembered at that point. The cool night air felt unusually warm. A small drop of sweat rolled down his pale forehead. He legs shrieked at him to stop however, his willpower refused. If he stopped now, he could never get up and walk again for the time being! Besides, what if one of the men was following him? If he stopped, his efforts to escape will be in vain!

After running for hours, the boy's cramping, exhausted legs finally gave out, causing him to collapse on the ground. Breathing heavily, he looked around his surroundings. Yet, all he saw were blurs of black and white and distorted figures. His head was spinning like a top. His energy dropped below sea-level as his adrenaline went down the drain.

Where he was now was the least of the boy's worry. Using his last strength, he crawled into the bushes. The leaves crunched under his weight as he shifted into a fetal position. The sound of the leaves in the towering trees rustling through the wind gently lulled him to a pitch-black, soundless sleep.

* * *

Back at the research facility, a man dressed in a black uniform threw his flashlight at the ground in frustration. "Darn it! I can't believe we let him get away!"

Another man dressed similarly to his partner shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see why that boy's so important. All I know is, he always tries to escape the facility."

"I don't know if this is true but, rumors around the facility say that this boy will change the future of humanity."

* * *

**Author's Notes: After struggling to finish the other fanfics, I've FINALLY uploaded the first chapter of this story! **

**OT: Hello, everyone! This is the Ike and Roy story I was talking about a few months ago. It was originally going to be rated M, however I changed the story a little bit, so I don't think it's necessary. **

**Just a heads up, this is an AU story. So characters who are usually dead in their games are alive and there might be some OOC(?). Also, there will be characters that aren't in the SSB series (Well, not playable at least). I don't think it's a problem, since I've seen a few SSB fanfics with characters from other Nintendo games.  
**

**I'm already finished with some of the chapters, so if I have enough time tomorrow, I might upload the first chapter. I added the short prologue to (try to) make the readers interested. Chapter 1's when the gears of the story start rolling. **

**So please tell me what you think so far! (If you want to.) **


	2. Chapter 1: Meek Ragdoll

A silver car drove down the streets of Smashville, its metallic paint reflecting a painful beam of light at whoever was unlucky enough to take a glance at it at the wrong moment. It halted in front of an average-sized one-story home. The lawn had a few weeds growing along with the fresh green grass. A small tree protruded from the middle of the lawn. The pale purple paint was bleached by the summer's boiling sunlight.

The car's doors opened and out stepped a mother with her two children, a son and a daughter. She had long indigo haired tied in a ponytail and crystal clear teal eyes. She wore a short-sleeved white shirt underneath a light blue blouse, jeans, and black shoes. Held in her hands were her children's school schedules. The short and skinny daughter had short orange-brown hair and shared her mother's teal eyes. She wore a cute yellow shirt with a pink ribbon, a jean skirt, and pink tennis shoes. The son was tall and a bit muscular. He had cobalt-blue eyes and his mother's indigo hair. He wore a dark blue jacket over a short-sleeved red T-shirt, jean pants, and red sneakers.

"What do you think of your new school?" Elena asked her children as they went inside their house.

"Even though it's really big and kinda old, I like it!" Mist answered cheerfully, smiling joyfully.

Ike just shrugged his shoulders and blankly looked down at the ground. "It's alright..." he gloomily spoke.

Ike Greil felt that he was the unluckiest teenager alive in the world. His family was doing well in Crimea; why did they need to move to Smashville? To him, it was a rash action. They literally decided to throw away their perfect life and start another one, here in this boring town Smashville. Smashville was nothing compared to Crimea. While Crimea had looming skyscrapers and exciting places to visit, Smashville only had small shopping centers and wide, dull countrysides.

When Ike sat down at a table next to Mist, he listened to her carefree humming. He never understood why his sister did not mind moving. Didn't she miss her friends?

Ike missed his old life back at Crimea. He missed hanging out with his friends Rolf, Boyd, Oscar, Rhys, and Soren at the game arcade and pizza parlor. He would do anything to move back to Crimea, even if it meant listening to his boring history teacher Miss. Titania blabber all day long about social triangles and sitting in his math class while the bullies Gatrie and Shinion talked behind his back.

"Here are your class schedules." Elena gave her children their schedules and smiled gently. "I hope you like them."

"I'm so glad I got into drama!" Mist exclaimed as she skimmed through her schedule.

Ike lazily went through his schedule. Let's see... He have English 3, History, Algebra 2, Japanese 3, Art History, Chemistry, PE (He did not take it in his sophomore year.), and public space and design. Ike's bored eyes widened in disgust and shock.

"What?!" he shouted, clutching his schedule tightly. "I wanted Driver's ed, not this 'public space and design'!"

"Driver's Ed must've been full." Elena quickly spoke, trying to calm down her son. "I think public space and design is much better. I heard that it is part of the school's art academy."

"Why?!" Ike asked loudly. "I want to learn how to drive before graduating!"

"We don't have the money now to buy another car." Elena calmly answered. "Public space and design is better because, you get to work on art projects with other people."

"Yeah, right." Ike huffed in irritation. "It's not like I'm going to make a naked stature of some guy and put it in a park for people to see sooner or later." Mist giggled softly at her older brother's statement.

"...Ike!" Elena spoke sternly, disgusted by her son's remark. "Act like your age!"

Ike mentally shook his head and sighed in frustration. His mom could be so strict sometimes. She had a sense of humor that was as dry as a stone sitting in the middle of the Gerudo Desert.

"Mom, can I look around and explore the neighborhood?" Mist asked, setting down her schedule.

"Sure." Elena answered. "Ike, can you please go with your sister? I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Fine." Ike sighed in annoyance. "It's not like I have a life anyway. C'mon Mist, let's go."

Elena sadly shook her head at her son's statement as he and Mist left the house. Ike used to be an open and happy person who always thought positive. Now, he has become a gloomy, quiet antisocial. Moving couldn't have impacted his behavior that much! She tried desperately to bring back the Ike she always knew and loved, only to have Ike stray from her farer like if she was a plague. He was a gopher hiding in its lonely burrow.

Ike and Mist strolled around the neighborhood. As Mist eagerly walked ahead of Ike and looked at every single house down the street, Ike began to wonder what were his friends doing now back in Crimea. Knowing his friends well, he assumed Oscar was trying to break up an argument between Rolf and Boyd. The two brothers tend to quarrel over something ridiculous once in a while. Soren and Rhys were probably in the library reading a Pappy Potter book and books about the human body. Soren was deeply interested in magic. Rhys wanted to be a doctor.

"Ike, you're a slowpoke!" Mist naughtily called to him. "Hurry up!"

"Erk, sorry!" Ike snapped out of his thoughts caught up with Mist.

"Are you ok?" Mist softly asked.

"I just miss my friends." Ike answered with a lonely look.

"Hey, they aren't the only friends in the world!" Mist replied with a beaming smile. "Once when school starts, you'll meet new friends!"

"Yeah, but they aren't going to be like my friends back at Crimea..."

Mist gave Ike a worried glance before turning and looking down the street. "Hey, there's a park there! Let's check it out!"

Ike forced a small smile. "Alright. Let's go."

The park was a bit big compared to the tiny neighborhood park back in Crimea. There was a play area with swirling slides, monkey bars, and swings. A large grassy field surrounded the play area, making up most of the park. It was either used for playing baseball or soccer. There were tables and seats for a picnic. Sitting on top of the right side of the field was a tennis court.

"It's really big, isn't it?" Mist asked Ike as they walked on the sidewalk in the park.

"Yeah." Ike answered. "The park in Crimea only had a small play set."

A sudden rustling noise startled Ike and Mist. The two siblings carefully turned around and saw a bush shaking erratically. Ike's protective big brother sense perked up. Oh no... What was in this bush? Was it a wild animal or a serial killer? Well, it could not be a serial killer. Smashville was a peaceful city with little to no crime rates. Still, it could be possible!

"Mist, let's wait to see what it is." Ike cautiously said. "I'll tell you when to run."

A fifteen-year-old male dressed in a soiled white collared shirt and pants shakily crawled out of the bushes. His cardinal-red hair was tangled and covered with leaves and dirt, like if it was caught in a tornado. His skin had painful scratches and bruises, looking like someone drew on him. He was a living rag doll who was left in the trash.

"Er, what happened to you?" Ike asked, staying as still as he could.

The redhead unsteadily stood up and looked at Ike and Mist with his curious navy-blue eyes. Instead of answering Ike's question, he timidly shrugged his arms and looked down, his face pink as roses.

"Are you hurt?" Mist asked.

The redhead shook his head no. Leave fluttered off his head as his hair whipped around.

"What is your name?" Mist asked again.

The male slightly parted his lips, yet he quickly looked away. His entire body tensed up in shyness. Ike and Mist worriedly looked at each other. Trying to communicate with this guy was like taking to a blank wall.

"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Mist quietly whispered to Ike, looking the redhead who awkwardly looked back.

"I don't know." Ike softly answered back. "He's really timid."

All of a sudden, the boy took a small, shaky step towards Ike and Mist. With a shocked gasp, Ike quickly shoved him to the ground, seeing the unexpected movement as an attack. "Mist, run!" he shouted, taking Mist's small hands.

"Wait, stop!" Mist cried out. She glared at Ike in the eye. "Why did you do that?" The redheaded boy wobbly sat up and began to cry hysterically.

"He might be dangerous!" Ike sternly answered.

Mist gave Ike a light slap on the shoulder. "He isn't!" She pointed at the sobbing, hurt male. "He's hurt! Look at him!" Ike could only shrug and watch his little sister rush to the redhead's side and give him a soothing hug. "There, there, don't cry." she sweetly said. The boy sniffed, wiped the tears out of his eyes, and trembled a bit. "We need to take him back home."

Ike blinked a few times, thinking that he misunderstood what Mist had just said. "What did you say?"

"We can't just leave him out here alone." Mist spoke again. "We need to take him back home!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Ike exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. "We can't take him home! He's going to cause trouble! I just know it! Also, Mom's not gonna let us!"

"We can ask Mom." Mist replied, looking at the redhead with a small wink. "Also, he's a good person! I can feel it."

Ike's firm barrier of sureness was crumbled by Mist's persuasive cannon balls. "Alright." he sighed. "Let's go and ask Mom."

"Yay!" Mist merrily cheered. She looked at the red-haired boy, who blankly looked back. "Come on, follow us!"

The redhead smiled coyly and began to follow Ike and Mist. After taking a few steps however, he took a small stumble. Noticing the red-haired boy's weakness, Ike mentally pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, gently picked him up, and carried him over his bold shoulder.

"Hey Ike, what should we call him?" Mist asked as they walked back to their house.

"I'm not sure." Ike replied.

"What do you think of Red? His hair is red so it makes sense!"

"No, I don't think we should name him after a color."

"Hmmmm... You're right. I don't want to just call him 'boy'! It sounds rude!"

"Wait!" Ike cried out, causing the redhead to jump a bit. "Red... Boy... Roy! That's it! Roy should be his name! What do you think?" Ike beamed a bright smile before fell and returned to his bored gaze.

Mist smiled at Ike's suggestion. For the first time ever since they moved to Smashville, Ike sounded happy. "Yes, it does fit him!" She quickly glanced at Roy, who was slowly falling asleep on Ike's shoulder.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Yeah, Mist. You better not call Roy "Red". Besides, another character already has that name! **

**Just as I promised, here's chapter 1. This is where the story usually begins. Hopefully, it will make up for the short prologue.**

**Upon reading the summary, some reviewers said that the story sounds similar to Hollow due to Roy being a mute. I decided to change that and make Roy REALLY shy and scared to talk. Hopefully, that wouldn't add to the OOCness that it (probably) already in the story. **

**Also, I opened a poll asking which story should I start next. Keep in mind that one of the stories have characters with undecided roles so, PM me or mention your character choice in a review. **

**Story Question: **

**Is the OOC really bad in this story so far? **

**Why do you think Roy is awfully timid? **

**Is it necessary for Ike to be very grumpy after moving from Crimea? **


	3. Chapter 2: Mysterious

"Can he stay, Mom?" Mist asked after when she, Ike, and Roy arrived home.

Elena eyed Roy, who stood next to the disinterested Ike. The redhead curiously looked around the house. Ike just blankly stared at the walls. "Well..." she began. "Is Roy a friendly person?"

"Yeah!" Mist answered. "If he wasn't, then we wouldn't bring him back!"

"For now, I'll let him stay." Elena answered. "I'll tell your father and see what he thinks."

"Yes!" Mist exclaimed. She happily faced Roy. "Did you hear that, Roy? You can stay with us for now!" Roy timidly smiled back and watched the brunette joyfully skip into her room.

Ike, who felt a bit unneeded in the conversation, was about to go to his room and sulk when Elena called to him. "Ike, can you do me a favor?"

"Yes?" Ike groaned in annoyance.

"Can you watch over Roy? I don't want him to get into trouble."

Ike repulsed in shock. His face was struck by the lightning of disbelief. "Why do I have to?"

"Because I said so." Elena bluntly answered.

Roy, who was admiring a picture hanging in the wall, gasped softly and jumped as Ike suddenly took his hand. With a soft "Hmmm?", he looked into his frustrated cobalt eyes as if he was asking what he was doing. Roy's innocent blue eyes did not make Ike's annoyed heart soften.

"Please follow me." Ike quickly whispered to him, trying to sound gentle.

In response, Roy nodded slightly with a small smile, placed his other hand on Ike's holding hand, and snuggled against his arm. Ike was a bit disgusted at the sign of affection. Roy was a bit too close to him for comfort. He unknowingly crossed the bright red line that tried to scream at him to halt. Ike was tempted to shove Roy away however, that ruthless action will upset the redhead and shatter his fragile heart into pieces. He might even get a scolding from his strict mother!

Ike led Roy to his room. It was a small-sized room that was next to Mist's room and across from a bathroom. The bed, which had a pillow and our white covers, was right next to a window. Its binds were open, letting the bright sunlight engulf the area with color. A nightstand with a lamp and alarm clock sat at the right side of the bed. Near the doorway was a small closet filled with Ike's clothing and belongings. A dusty bookshelf filled with books of all sizes and colors stood at a corner. They looked neglected for a long time. Across from the bed was a desk with a computer, a cup full of pencils and pens, and a charging phone. A fan was glued to the top of the ceiling.

Waiting for Ike to order him what to do, Roy let go of his hand and curiously paced around the room. He felt the soft, cushiony bed with his hands, jumped onto it, curled into a small ball, and looked at Ike. Ok, they were now in Ike's room. What was going to happen?

Ike looked at Roy's tattered white clothing, a blank piece of paper that was splattered with tones of gray and brown, carelessly crumpled into a ball, and thrown into a bag full of dirty. His hair was a ball of red yarn left in the mud. His pale skin indicated that he was hardly let out in the warm sunlight. Ike shivered a bit. What happened to him? Did he run away from his family? Why couldn't he talk? Maybe his family violently abused him and greatly traumatized him! How long was he like this?

Ike went to his closet and opened a box containing clothes he wore when he was thirteen-years-old. He took a pair of white socks, a pair of dark blue jeans, a long-sleeved red shirt with a silhouette of a sword, and a navy blue jacket.

_"I can't look at him like this any longer." _Ike thought to himself. He looked at Roy and ordered, "Follow me to the bathroom." Ike motioned him to follow him.

Roy immediately jumped off Ike's bed and obediently followed him to the bathroom. His feet lightly tapped on the floor along with Ike's slow footsteps. _"He is unbelievably obedient." _Ike thought as he opened the door to the bathroom.

The bathroom consisted of two sinks on a large cabinet. One of the sinks had a dark blue cloth, a sky blue cup holding two toothbrushes, and a comb sitting around it. The other one had the same items surrounding it, only that they were pink. A hair dryer sat in the middle.

A large mirror playfully mimicked Ike's and Roy's movements. As Ike set the clothes on the cabinet and turned the bathtub's faucet, Roy curiously looked at the identical red-haired male in the mirror. He stuck out his tongue. The boy did the same. Roy quickly waved his right hand. Mysteriously, the boy managed to do the same exact movement! Was magic behind this?

"Roy, stop playing with your reflection and come here." Ike ordered. Roy looked back at him in response and came to him. Ike awkwardly blinked and blushed as he said his next sentence. "Now, t-take off your clothes."

Ike expected Roy's face to turn into a bright hue of pink and wildly shake his head no in protest. Instead, Roy simply just stripped off his clothing and looked at him. He was a robot whose role was to just take orders.

"Get in here." Ike pointed to the bathtub. The faucet was running with quick jets of warm water. Roy stepped into the tub and felt the clear liquid with his hands. Ike took a large plastic cup, filled it with warm water, and poured it over the smaller male. Roy immediately hugged himself for warmth as the water streamed down his cardinal hair and fell down his white skin like a waterfall. The clear, clean water turned into a filthy gray as it ran down the drain.

Ike took a bottle of shampoo and squeezed its pink, sweet-smelling contents out. He roughly messaged it into Roy's wet hair. As Ike's fingers dug into his scalp like a sharp pickax, Roy let out a soft, feeble whimper in protest at the drilling pain. Ike ignored the short cry at first. He always washed his hair like this. It could not be that painful!

After another minute however, Roy could not take the pain gashing into his skull. He suddenly grabbed one of Ike's huge, soapy hands with his smaller hands and glared into the bluenette's eyes. Ike froze like a stature and looked back into the redhead's wide eyes. What did he want now?

Roy put one of his hands on Ike's head and began to gently pet it, giving Ike a small hint. "Am I being... Too rough?" Ike asked, his voice hiding the annoyance that swelled in his heart.

Roy's eyes flickered with joy when Ike figured out what he was trying to say. With a small, sweet smile, Roy's head bobbed happily as he nodded yes. Ike sighed and began to gently rub, not violently dig, the shampoo into his red hair.

"Is that better?" Ike asked.

Roy nodded yes and smiled softly. Finished with washing Roy's hair, Ike poured another bucket full of water over his head, washing out the foamy soap suds. Roy's hair, which was a disgusting splatter of dull red and brown, was now a lively, bright cardinal. Bored with nothing to do, Roy's eyes caught a bar of white soap sitting in the soap tray. He took it and tightly squeezed it. What does it do? It felt a bit slippery and it smelled like lavender.

All of a sudden, the soap suddenly slipped out of his hands. It flew directly at Ike and struck him on the forehead. Pain popped in his head for a few seconds as he took the slippery soap and grumbled in annoyance. Roy stepped forward and began to rub Ike's sore forehead, as he he was trying to soothe the pain.

"I'm ok." Ike said, stopping Roy. He was a bit awe-struck by the sudden kindness.

Roy stood still as Ike soaped his body. After being rinsed with water, Ike shut the faucet and wrapped a fuzzy, white blanket around Roy. He carefully Drenched from the now-freezing water, Roy began to shiver wildly. His teeth began to uncontrollably chatter as his entire body shook.

"Here, put those on." Ike handed Roy the clothes. Shakily taking them, Roy began to dress himself. Ike looked away.

When he was finished dressing, Roy gave Ike a small nudge, making him turn around. His eyes flickered in amazement as he saw the new, unfamiliar redhead standing in front of him. Now that he was garbed in colorful clothing, he was nearly unrecognizable. Roy looked like a typical fifteen-year-old male, not an abused child. A small blush appeared on his pale face, making him look lively. Ike was deeply entranced and hypnotized by the innocent gleam in Roy's eyes. No... This could not be the same boy he and Mist found in the park!

"Ermmm?" Roy quietly whispered. He blinked and gave Ike a small a small poke on the shoulder.

"Ah! Er, sorry." Ike instantly snapped out of his trance. Roy smiled again, suddenly stepped forward, and gave Ike a loving embrace. Again, Ike was appalled by the affection. Yet, it was not as strong as when Roy snuggled against his arm. A part of his heart told him to accept Roy's fondness. Still, Ike felt that Roy was violating his space. Roy only outran the security guard when he crossed the red line. He was not out of the woods yet!

Roy released Ike and exited the bathroom. Ike quickly trailed him, keeping a sharp eye on the younger male. What was he doing now? He better not get into trouble...

Ike followed Roy into Mist's room. There, Mist was on the floor doodling on her sketch book. She was coloring her sketches with a variety of colorful pencils. Her room was a bit smaller than Ike's. Her bed, which had a frilly pillow and light blue covers, was placed in the center of the room.

Mist sensed Roy's presence as he entered her room. "Hey, Roy!" she greeted, looking up from her drawing. Her cheeks turned pink as she made eye contact with the nearly unfamiliar male. "I did not recognize you for a minute!"

Ike joined the scene. As Mist sat up to take a sky-blue pencil, her older brother looked over her shoulder at her drawing. It was a picture of a princess garbed in a lavender dress. Her hair was a swirl of pale-yellow pencil marks. Her eyes were simply just blue circles with a black spot in the middle of it. They made her look a bit cross-eyed. The arms were a bit too short; they only reached to her thin waist. She was simply standing in the middle of a grassland, which was just a scribble of multiple tones of green underneath the princess.

Mist noticed Ike staring at her drawing and immediately covered it with her hands. "Ike! Don't look! It's embarrassing!"

"It's alright." Ike shrugged his shoulders. "I think the arms need to be longer."

Roy shook his head in agreement. He eyed the sketchbook in Mist's hands. Mist noticed the begging shine in the redhead's eyes and asked, "Roy, do you want to draw too?"

With a hesitant smile, Roy timidly nodded his head. Mist carefully tore a blank page out of her sketchbook and gave it to him. She took a flat book out from a stack of books sitting next to her and set it in front of Roy. "Here you go!" she said kindly.

Instead of taking a pencil and start drawing something imaginative, Roy blankly stared at the blank piece of paper. Ike noticed the soulless gaze in his eyes. What was it? Did Roy know what was drawing? Maybe he was waiting for an order! He must have lost his freedom to think for himself!

"Roy, are you ok?" Mist asked worriedly.

Roy nodded his head and smiled, before it fell into a deadpan expression.

"Hey, you can draw whatever you want." Ike spoke, putting a gentle hand on Roy's head. Roy slightly jumped from his spot, making Ike flinch. "Really!"

Taking an ordinary writing pencil with his shaking hands, Roy began to carefully draw a figure on the paper, using the book as a base. Ike blinked as a suddenly urge to draw came to his senses. It felt a bit odd. It was a warm, fuzzy feeling that he had not felt for a long time.

"Mist, can I have a piece of paper?" Ike requested as he took a pencil lying on the ground.

"Yeah, sure!" Mist perfectly ripped out a piece of paper out of her sketchbook and gave it to Ike. Ike put a flat book underneath his paper and began to sketch a drawing. Although his large build made him look like an athletic, active person, Ike had a knack for drawing. Despite his skill, he disliked taking art classes. He did not enjoy being told what to draw.

After about an hour that felt like ten minutes, Mist spoke up. "Ike, can I see your drawing?"

"Er, well sure." Ike gave Mist his drawing. It had a rough sketch of a dragon breathing waves of fire. "I didn't color it yet."

"It looks really nice!" Mist commented. She eyed Roy, who was lost in his drawing. He was a lamp unplugged from the socket of reality. "Roy? Can I see what you're drawing?"

With a shy look, Roy felt his face turn red as he gave Mist his drawing. What if she and Ike did not like it? What if it offended him? Would it disgust them?

"Ike, look!" Mist softly gasped. She showed her big brother Roy's drawing. It depicted the three sitting together, drawing pictures. Although it was cartoonish and less realistic, it was nearly perfect. All of the body parts were in perfect proportion.

"That's awesome!" Ike quietly spoke. He looked at Roy, who bashfully looked down. _"Roy, who are you?"_he wondered. _"What happened to you?"_

* * *

**Author's Notes: Ike, use a repel! That will ward Roy away! Hey, it worked for Red and the Zubats!**

**OT: Here's the 2nd chapter! Hopefully, no one got sick of waiting for the updates. So far, this isn't as popular as the rest of my fanfics. I don't mind, though. Also, the bathing scene doesn't seen suggestive, so I don't think it should be rated M. What do you guys think? The next chapter will hint Roy's relationship with the men in the institute.**

**For the poll (including the review votes), the choice with the most votes is the sequel to Hollow, which makes a lot of since. The second most-voted choice is the Singing story with Marth, and the rest only has one vote. So if you hadn't already, please vote!**

**Story Questions: **

**Why do you think Ike doesn't want Roy to spend time with him? **

**What do you think the men did the Roy in the institute? **


	4. Chapter 3: Warming Up

Anxiety. That was what the three henchmen felt as they gathered in front of the office. They were dressed in black spy solder uniforms. Their hands shook wildly with their thumping heart.

"H-How should explain to him that the boy escaped the facility?" the first henchman asked uneasily.

"We can't just say that we were not expecting it." the second henchman added. "It just sounded like an excuse!"

"I'll go in and tell him." the third henchman spoke bravely.

The other two henchman gasped in shock. "You are, Snake? Wait, maybe one of us should come!"

"It's alright." Snake said.

Swallowing his nervousness, Snake unsteadily took the bronze doorknob, turned it, and opened the door. It slightly creaked as it slowly swung open. The two remaining henchmen could only helplessly watch their friend enter the office. After when he stepped into the room, the door gently closed with a snap. The soft yet sudden sound made the two jump.

The office had an uncomfortable atmosphere lurking in the air. Bookshelves containing notebooks with recorded information lined against the walls. The fan on the wall helplessly spun. In the middle of the room was a desk. It had papers nearly stacked. Black pens sat in a holding cup.

A tall, somewhat muscular man was seated at the desk. His build and appearance gave people the hint that he was in his mid-thirties. He had a puzzling hair color. It was a hue that was in between the color green and yellow. His narrow, merciless, hazel eyes nearly clashed with his hair. Any naive child who glanced into his heartless eyes would turn and flee in fright. He was dressed in a dark purple dress shirt, black pants, and leather black shoes, indicating that he was part of a high rank in the facility.

"Is there anything you would like to tell me?" the man asked in a low tone. His voice shared the growl of a monster.

"Yes, Zephiel." Snake answered, trying to hide the tone of fear in his voice. "I would like to report that Experiment #9 is officially missing."

Zephiel sighed in frustration and set a hand on his face.

"We made predictions that he must've fled to the nearby city Smashville." Snake continued. "It should not be a big deal. We could just catch him wandering around the city and—"

Zephiel cut the henchman off. "You think, this is not a big deal?" he strictly asked as his voice rose. "Don't you see? Cities are filled with people."

"Okay...?" Snake waited for his leader to continue.

"It's likely that he will meet some people there. He might befriend and get influenced by them. Do we want that to happen?"

"No." Snake answered. "We want to mold him."

"That's why we need to bring him back as soon as possible!" Zephiel suddenly yelled furiously. "We can't let his pure innocence get tainted with freedom!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" the henchman nervously stuttered in response.

"Look for the boy in Smashville." Zephiel sternly ordered, his voice lowering. "Do not capture him in public. The rash action will cause suspicions. Only capture him when he is alone."

"Should we alert the police?" Snake suggested. "We can just report it as a missing child case."

"You may." Zephiel answered.

Snake nodded his head. "I understand. We will start the search immediately." He instantly turned and left the office.

* * *

Mist and Ike were sitting on the couch in the family room, dressed in their pajamas. The lively TV was on. It flashed colors and exclaimed sounds and voices as Mist gazed into its hypnotizing, magical lights. Ike was paying no attention to the TV. His eyes were glued onto his Aphone as he browsed through Smashbook and looked at his friends' posts.

Roy was nowhere near them, much to Ike's relief. Although the red head showed loving affection to Ike, the bluenette found it to be quite irritating. He followed him around the house like a lost puppy. No, not a lost puppy. A greedy mosquito buzzing behind himself, slowly sucking away his space and privacy. There was not a single moment when Ike had time for himself. Ike looked up from his phone and looked around before looking back at his phone. Where did Roy go anyway? The last time he saw him was when he randomly looked up and spotted the redhead snooping around the front of his room.

_"Lucky guys." _Ike thought to himself gloomily as he read one of Soren's statuses. _"They get to start school next month. School starts in two days for me. Also, they don't have some lost kid living in their house."_

Feeling miserable and wanting to empty his bottle of feelings out, Ike decided to update his status.

_"School is starting in a few days in Smashville. Why can't it start next month like the other schools? This is f**king stupid. " _Ike posted.

In about five minutes, Ike got a comment from Soren and Boyd.

_"wow, i feel sorry for you" _Boyd's comment said.

_"Awwww... How's Smashville anyway?" _Soren's comment asked.

Ike quickly responded to Soren's question. _"It's the complete opposite of Crimea. There are no buildings, it isn't crowded, and boring. Oh yeah, part of the town is old as the Temple of Time and surrounded by countryside."_

_"Did you meet anyone yet?" _Soren's reply asked.

_"No. Everyone's so boring..."_

Elena approached Mist and Ike, whose eyes were glued to their glowing multimedia. "Kids, it's time to go to bed." she softly ordered.

_"C'mon, it's only ten! Why can't we go to bed at ten thirty?" _Ike thought rebelliously to himself. Yet, he kept his mouth shut.

"Okay!" Mist turned off the TV and she headed into her room. "Goodnight, Mom! Goodnight, Ike!" she said.

"Goodnight." Elena called. She looked at Ike, who rose from his seat and turned off his phone. "Ike, can you find Roy and tell him it's time to go to bed?" she asked. "I can't find him anywhere."

"Sure, Mom." Ike answered, his voice sounding neutral. "Hold on, I need to charge my phone." Elena watched Ike hurry into his room.

Ike's room was completely dark. The bright yellow, sword-shaped nightlight emitted a beam of light that lit up the corner of the room. Orange and yellow spilled into his room as Ike opened the door and flipped on a switch. The ceiling fan's lamp, which was a shadowy, upside-down dome with a pattern on it, turned into a glowing ball that filled the room with colors.

A small rustle from his bed caught Ike's attention, causing him to look. His eyes widened at the sight. There, Roy was lying beneath the covers, his eyes squinting as he sleepily looked at Ike with the sudden beam of light painfully shining in his eyes. He was also garbed in pajamas similar to Ike's, only that he was wearing red sweatpants. Ike was wearing shorts.

Ike plugged his phone to its charger and gazed sharply into Roy's drowsy eyes. His glare shared the menacing gleam of a Haunter. Ok, it was completely fine if Roy were to constantly stick around Ike's side, even if it bothered him. But this was going overboard! His bed was his private domain that can only be entered by a selected few! Roy was not on the list.

With a small sigh, Ike called, "Mom! I found Roy!"

"Okay!" his mother called back. "Tell him that he could sleep on one of the sofas!"

Ike went to his bedside, looked at Roy directly in the eye again to intimidate him, and sternly ordered, "Roy, you are going to sleep on the couch. Please get out."

Roy only sighed softly, pulled his knees up, and gently hugged the blankets as he looked back at Ike with begging puppy eyes. No, he was definitely not getting out. The bed was extremely cozy and comfortable compared to the sofas.

"Fine, you can sleep with me." Ike sighed in defeat, sensing that Roy refused to sleep on one of the sofas. He turned off the lights, got onto the other side of the bed, covered himself with the warm, soft blanket, and laid his head on the white, fluffy pillow.

When he closed his eyes and tried to drift to sleep, he felt something, _or someone _snuggling closely to his body. A blast of warmth embraced his body. Opening his eyes, he exhaled loudly in annoyance when he saw Roy lying intently next to him. His eyes were shut in sleep. His breathing was soft and peaceful. Ike shifted onto his left side, looked out of the window, and began to listen to the cars zooming down the street, the echoing blare of a distant train, and an occasional ambulance's alarming siren. The sixteen-year-old teen felt that his space got violated. His personal empire was invaded by an unknown alien who always absorbed his life force.

Yet, should he feel glad for the alien? He was being chased by a twisted army for nothing! Maybe the army wanted to lock him up and research him. But, that did not explain why the alien always stuck to him like duct tape. He could have sticked with his mother or Mist. Maybe it was because Ike was also a male? Did his physical appearance give him the image of a protective brother?

The sound of a car pulling up on the driveway snapped Ike out of his thoughts. The low rumbling noise hummed along with the sound of tires rolling up the gritty ground. He looked out of the window and saw the bright, white light slicing through the window blinds into his room. It immediately died out along with the rumbling noise.

The noise of a car's door slowly opening and violently slamming shut without warning jolted the startled Roy awake. His wide eyes frantically glanced around Ike's room as he heard footsteps stepping towards the front of the house. The steps made a terrifying melody with the soft jangle of keys.

Roy huddled closer to Ike as he heard the sound of a key slicing into a keyhole with a screeching crack. Who was coming?! Was it a stranger?! Roy began to sweat wildly and slightly quiver. Ike was the complete opposite. Unlike the panicking Roy, he just rolled his eyes and kept his eyes on the open doorway. Great, _he _finally came home from work...

Unable to hold in his fright, Roy began to wail hysterically as the menacing stranger entered the house. He hugged Ike tightly for protection and buried his blubbering face in his shoulder. What was the stranger going to do now?! Was he going to attack them?!

"Is everything ok?!" a man's voice worriedly asked.

A middle-aged man cautiously looked into Ike's room and spotted his son lying in bed with an unfamiliar red-haired boy. The man nearly looked like Ike as the two nearly the had same colored eyes, height, and build. However, they were noticeable differences. The man's eyes were much narrow, his hair was shorter and brown like Mist's, and his face had a few wrinkles and slightly baggy eyes due to age and lack of sleep.

"Hey, Dad." Ike spoke nonchalantly, forcing a slight smile.

Gawain turned on the lights and asked, "Who is this?" He pointed at Roy, who slowly stopped crying, calmed down, and watchfully looked back at him. He rested the side of his head on Ike's shoulder.

"Erm, well..." Ike began in certainly.

Ike was cut off by Mist exclaiming, "Dad! You're home!" Mist gave her father an embrace, who gently smiled at her.

"Oh dear, you're back." Elena calmly said as she joined the scene. She looked at both Mist and Ike. "Everyone, we need to have an emergency family meeting now."

Holding back an urge to protest, Ike sleepily shoved the covers off, which tumbled over Roy. Roy shoved the heavy blanket away and made a move to follow him when Elena added, "Roy, you are not involved in this." Roy nodded in understanding and watched the four members of the Greil Family walk away towards the family room.

When everyone was seated on the sofas, the family meeting began.

"Now, can someone please tell me who was that boy in Ike's room?" Gawain asked. "Ike, is he a friend of yours?"

"Well, Mist and I went to the neighborhood park today." Ike explained, listening to the crickets chirp outside in the backyard. "We found him alone in the bushes."

"What is his name?"

"We don't really know. He doesn't talk to us. We just gave him the nickname Roy."

"Yeah!" Mist piped up. "We named him after his red hair."

Gawain nodded. "Were his parents there?"

Ike shook his head sadly. "No. In fact, he looked like he ran away from his home. He was very dirty. Mist and I didn't want to leave him by himself, so we decided to let him stay here."

"Please let Roy stay!" Mist begged desperately, her eyes shining like a begging puppy's, "He does not have a place to go to!"

Gawain looked at Elena and his children. "Based on Roy's story, I would let him stay— If it is legal."

"What do you mean?" Mist asked.

"It is illegal to harbor a runaway." Gawain explained. "Roy's family must be missing him. It's best if we return him to his family."

"I don't think so!" Ike suddenly blurted out. A sudden flashback of Roy lying in the bushes helpless and terrified caused him to shout. "Look, when we found Roy, he was bruised! He was dressed in dirty and torn clothes! He is too scared to speak! Do you think his family really loved him?!"

Gawain and Elena were a bit shocked at Ike's abrupt statement. "Dear, is there a way to take custody of Roy?" Elena asked.

"I think there is." Gawain answered. "But I don't want to sign the papers yet. Ike, can you go to the police station tomorrow and see if there are missing children cases?"

"Sure, Dad." Ike answered.

When the meeting ended, the family returned to their own business. Ike yawned as he throttled sleepily back to his room. Being as quiet as he could so he would not awaken Roy, he slowly stepped towards his bed and slipped into the covers.

Roy was sleeping like a ball of yarn. As Ike turned his head to look at him, the redhead sighed quietly and stretched his legs. His facial expression told Ike that he was in a state of peace. After wandering around the shady, unknown world, he finally found a place to stay. He met people who accepted him, even though he did not quite fit the mold. (In Ike's point of view.). Reaching hesitantly, Ike cupped his hand on Roy's hair and gently stroked his cardinal hair. Before he drifted to sleep, he felt the smaller boy snuggle closer to him.

* * *

**Author's Notes: I won't blame you, Roy. I rather sleep on a bed than a sofa. **

**Here's another quick update! Just a heads up, I'm already finished with a few chapters, so I'm uploading them as soon as possible. Admittively when I started writing this fanfic, I had trouble deciding who should be the main antagonist. I eventually settled on Zephiel, the main antagonist of Fire Emblem 6; Roy's game. Later in the story, you'll see why I chose him. :3 **

**Judging by the looks of the poll, it's likely that I'll start the sequel to Hollow once when this story is finished. I'm still keeping the poll up though. **

**Obnoxious Story Questions: **

**Now that a bit of Roy's relationship with the men is hinted, how do you think he involved with the institute?**

**Do you think Ike is beginning to accept Roy? **

**PS: SSB does NOT belong to me! It belongs to Nintendo! **


	5. Chapter 4: Doubt

Ike awoke as light glittered from the window into his cobalt eyes. With a small yawn, he shifted his body and looked at Roy, who was still asleep by his side. His head, a bundle of messy cardinal hair, was nested on Ike's warm chest. He sighed quietly as he licked his lips. His left leg was ungracefully dangling off the bed.

Keeping his eyes on Roy, Ike carefully and slowly pushed the covers off his body. With a tiny thump, the cover piled over the redhead, who only stirred. The bed slightly creaked as Ike cautiously got out of his head, making him jump and freeze like an ice club. The magnet must not make contact with the paperclip, or he would be stuck with him for the time being.

As both of his feet touched the ground, Ike looked back at Roy, who was slumbering like someone who was unfortunate enough to look at a Hypno's swinging, soporific pendulum. His cheeks were a vivid, rosy red and his lips were curved in a small smile. Wow, he was very tired… Ike could not blame Roy. If he ran away from home for god-knows-how-long, he would gladly settle for a two-day nap. Ike took a quick glance at the clock. It read 9:00.

Ike quickly changed his clothes, as he worried that Roy might unexpectedly awake. While he pulled up his jean pants and put on a red shirt, he heard the small screeching of nails on a chalkboard. The screeching went louder as Ike turned and saw Roy turn and stretch. His sixth sense warned him that he was about to awake. His heart pumping rapidly, Ike's shaky fingers took a pair of white socks and unevenly pulled them over his feet. The screeching screamed panicky as he quickly snatched his blue jacket off his chair and raced out of his room.

The moment when Ike stepped out of his room, the screeching immediately stopped. He lightly shut the door and sighed in relief. Whew, he thought Roy was actually going to wake up while he was dressing! If he did, that would be an awkward and embarrassing moment!

Ike went to the kitchen to get a quick bite to eat. It was a fairly large room with a kitchen counter, a stove, a dishwasher filled with squeaky-clean plates, cupboards filled with kitchen appliances. The sink had a few plates and bowls sitting in it. A large table with six chairs stood in the middle of the room. Behind the table was the enormous sliding door that led to the backyard.

Elena was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper over a cup of coffee. Noticing her son's presence, she looked up and said, "Good morning, Ike."

"Good morning, Mom." Ike replied as he went to a cupboard and took out a chocolate chip energy bar.

"Are you going to the police station now?" Elena asked. She sipped her warm coffee.

"Yeah." Ike answered through munches. He poured himself a cup of milk and gulped it down.

"Are you fine with riding your bike there?" Elena suggested. "The news says it's going to rain today. Maybe when Mist and Roy wake up, we can go together."

"It's ok, I'm going to be fine." Ike replied, setting the cup next to the sink. "A little rain is not going to stop me." He instantaneously left the kitchen. Before he opened the front door, he put on his red sneakers, took his pure white helmet, which was hanging on a hat rack and set it on his head for protection.

Ike exited his house and mounted his dark blue bike, which was parked at the side of the front door. Strangely, the weather was cool and breezy. The sky, which was clear and blue yesterday, was covered with gray, miserable clouds. The wind blew violently, making Ike shiver a bit.

Once when he entered the main street, Ike was a blur of blue racing down the streets. He was like a flash of blue light. He smiled as he felt the wind blow against his face. The sound of wind whistling in his ears made him feel like a bird freely flying in the sky with no worries. The cars that zipped behind him where just blurs of colors in all sizes. Some of the drivers honked angrily at him. Hey kid, slow down!

One of the cars casually driving down the street was a sky blue car. A bored sixteen-year-old boy with blue hair and matching cerulean eyes sleepily looked out the window while his older sister drove. As he viewed the tedious scenery like watching paint dry, he saw Ike suddenly zip by on his bike.

The boy childishly squealed in surprise. "Elice! Look!" He pointed to Ike, who was gone in a blink of an eye. The blue light vanished into the darkness of distance. "Awwww…. You missed it…" The boy sighed and pouted unhappily.

Elice sighed in bother. She felt a roll of sweat rolling down her long blue hair. "Marth, I'm driving."

After ten minutes of speeding down the street, Ike finally reached the police station. It looked different compared to the station in Crimea. It was a rectangular-shaped building made of bricks. The Smashville Police Station looked like it was made completely out of marble and its design reminded Ike of an ancient temple. Ike parked his bike in front of the station and looked around. Unlike the police station back at Crimea, it had a friendly, warm feeling, not a threatening atmosphere.

Ike entered the police station. Inside, he saw people seated in chairs, talking to assistances and lawyers. A few policemen were gathered in a corner, talking and laughing over a topic. It was obvious that they were not involved in a case.

A bulletin board with posters of missing people caught Ike's eyes. Curious like an innocent Skitty, he looked at it and identified the missing persons. There were not a lot of posters; there were only three. The first poster had a picture of an enormous, muscular teenager dressed like a football player, which made him raise an eyebrow in confusion. How was it possible for him to go missing? Kidnappers would not mess with a guy that big! If he tried to run away from home like Roy, he would be caught walking down the street! The second poster with a little girl sitting next to Hypno, which sent a shiver down Ike's spine. He was a bit afraid of the psychic Pokemon.

Ike gazed onto the third poster, which had a picture of a certain, familiar redhead. His eyes widened; it was Roy! The picture of him was like a mugshot. Roy, a person with tones of gray, blankly stared at the camera, his eyes emotionless. His lips were as straight as a line, not curved in a smile. He was garbed in a white collared shirt. Ike blinked and looked closer. No, this could not be Roy! He was too expressionless to be him!

A police officer with midnight blue hair and trustworthy blue eyes noticed Ike closely staring at the poster of Roy. He was wearing a black dress shirt with matching black dress pants and leather shoes. A badge was pinned to his shirt. He approached him and said, "You've been staring at that boy for a while."

Ike snapped out of his trance. "Err, sorry! It's just that, I felt that I've seen him somewhere. I just can't remember." He did not want to give away the fact that Roy was currently staying at his home.

"I have never seen you in Smashville before. Did you move here?"

"Yeah, I moved here like a week ago."

Chrom smiled. "The name is Chrom. What's yours?"

"Ike. It's nice to meet you."

Ike and Chrom shook hands.

"I am a bit suspicious of that missing boy case." Chrom suddenly spoke, pointing to Roy's poster. Ike jumped at the unexpected statement. "This morning, a group of men filed the case. When I asked for the boy's name, it took them a while to give me an answer. It was like, if they were trying to hide something. Doesn't that sound suspicious?"

Ike nodded. "Yeah!" He looked at the poster again. "He doesn't look happy... Do you think the men are doing something to him?"

Chrom was about to answer when another policeman quickly rushed towards him. He was dressed in a similar attire, however he was much taller than Chrom, had chestnut brown hair, and intimidating dark eyes. "Chrom! What did I tell you about giving information to citizens?" he questioned coldly.

Chrom sighed and sadly looked at Ike. "Unfortunately, I can't give you all the answers due to orders from Frederick the Wary." He gave Frederick a small smile to ensure that everything was fine. "I have to go now. I'll see you later!"

"Alright!" Ike replied. He watched Chrom walk away with Frederick.

Ike took another look at Roy's poster, which suddenly had a threatening atmosphere surrounding it. Something told him that Roy was hiding something tiny yet dangerous behind his back like a terminal virus. His so-called family might not even be a family! Chrom mentioned that a group of men reported the case, not a family. Although most people would just shrug the piece of information off their shoulders, it made the gears in Ike's brain turn. However, the gears were a bit jammed. There was not enough given information to make them work properly and produce a conclusion!

Raindrops began to plunge from the sky as Ike exited the police station. It landed soundlessly on the sidewalk and the building, giving it dark gray spots. At first, Ike took it as a drizzle. He calmly mounted his bike and rode away from the police station. He kept an aware eye on the speeding cars, knowing that the street could get slippery as soap in the rain.

Slowly, the raindrops grew bigger. It nosily pattered on the streets like hail. Ike gasped for air as he struggled to look through the rain. The air was fresh and clear yet frigid. The violent wind blew against him. The rain poured on Ike's body. Some of the drivers, who were seated in their warm, comfortable cars, gave strange looks at Ike as he whizzed by them on his bike. Oh my, he was biking in the rain! That ought to be unfortunate!

_"Man, I should've listened to Mom." _Ike thought to himself, mentally slapping himself for his foolishness.

Ike rode his bike into his neighborhood and sighed in exhaustion. Urk... It was freezing! He trembled violently for warmth as icy-cold water rolled off his helmet and clothes. How far was his house? Ike looked up and recognized the street. Ok, he was close. All he needed to do is turn the corner and he would finally be back in his house!

After turning the corner, Ike saw a familiar lavender-colored house. A few feet away from his home, he got off his bike and began to quickly walk it. When Ike parked his bike at the front of the house, he heard a muffled high-pitched screaming coming from inside his house. Worried that something has happened, Ike hurried inside.

"What's going on?" Ike anxiously asked as he quickly entered his home.

He found Roy sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room, sobbing hysterically. Tears rolled down his pink face. Mist tightly embraced the bawling redhead, trying to calm him down. Elena could only watch the scene play out.

As soon when Ike arrived, Roy instantly stopped crying. He wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt and hiccupped. Mist released him from her hug.

"You're back, Ike!" Elena spoke. "I was worried that something happened to you. It began to rain."

"Can someone tell me why was Roy crying?" Ike asked, looking at Roy.

"He woke up and tried to look for you." Mist explained. "When he could not find you, he began to cry."

"Oh..." Ike watched Roy get up, go towards him, and embrace him tightly. He stroked the redhead's hair. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Roy." Roy blinked away his tears and sighed loudly in relief.

"Were there any missing children cases?" Elena asked.

Ike remembered the conversation he had with Chrom at the police station. Should he tell his Mom and Mist about Roy's case? It was telling the truth. But, his case sounded suspicious. It did not seem safe to return Roy to his caretakers. Swallowing nervously, Ike answered, "There weren't."

"I see..." Elena responded. "We now have a reason to take custody of Roy... Ike, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?" Ike asked.

"I don't think Roy feels safe without you by his side." Elena explained. "So, I would like you to take him to school with him."

Ike cringed at the request. "Wait, you're kidding, right?" he uneasily asked, his face turning pink at the horrifying thought.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Uhhh... cliffhanger? *gets hit by frozen watermelon* **

**Here's the 4th chapter! I managed to introduce some characters. It would be a boring story with just Ike, Roy, and their family! The 5th chapter will be uploaded soon. It will mainly introduce Ike's new friends. Hmmm... Who could they be? **

**Also, the next story I'm starting is definately the sequel to Hollow. So, I'm closing the poll. **

**Obnoxious Story Questions:**

**If you were Ike, would you tell your family about Roy's case? (Sorry if this is worded strangely. =/) **

**Why do you think Roy feels unsafe without Ike by his side? **

**Why do you think Ike cringed at the mention of bringing Roy to his school? **


	6. Chapter 5: New Faces

No, his mother was not kidding. Ike stood at the front of Ninterty High School with Roy and Mist by his side. He watched students, who shared the appearance of strangers, entering the school with their friends by their side, talking and laughing. Although it was a clear, warm day, the cheerful climate did not lighten Ike's mood up. The school supplies that occupied his backpack felt as heavy as a block of lead. Signing in boredom, Ike fidgeted with his ID card, which hung around his neck on a lanyard. Oh boy, this was going to be a loooong day...

Since that he was a new student at this school, Ike felt like an outcast. The people that walked pass him like if he was invisible had blank, unrecognizable faces. The only person who was considered to be his friend was Roy. But, it was a bit awkward to spend time with him, as he could not talk and NEEDED to spend every second with him. There was Mist, but she was his sister.

_ Yet, that did not mean Ike could not make friends..._

Ike heard frantic footsteps hurrying towards him from behind. He turned around and saw a sixteen-year-old male rushing towards him. His blue bangs whipped in his matching cerulean eyes, which were filled with fright. He was dressed in a jacket with hues of blue, a sky-blue shirt, long jeans, and dark blue sneakers. Sitting on his head was a gold-colored hairband with a fake azure gem on it. It nearly resembled a tiara.

With a wheezing gasp, the boy ran behind Ike and cowered. He grasped his shoulders tightly and nervously looked over the confused Ike's shoulder. His hands were trembling wildly. Roy, who was standing by Ike, curiously looked at the unknown boy. What happened? Why was he scared?

"Err, what are you doing?" Ike uneasily asked.

"Are you ok?" Mist asked.

"Hey! There he is!" a jeering voice shouted.

Three students with a threatening atmosphere approached Ike, Roy, and the blue-haired boy. One of them wore a ripped jacket over a wrinkled black shirt, sagging jeans smeared with dirt, a yellow baseball cap worn backwards, and white sneakers that were gray. He had blue eyes that shined with greed. His brown hair looked like it was never combed in a hundred years. Ike assumed that he hardly exercised, since he was completely made up of fat. Mist was disgusted by the sight. Trying not to make eye contact with him, she looked at his ID card. It read: _Wario_.

The second one was wearing a zipped purple jacket, tight-fitting jeans, a matching purple cap, and brown shoes. Unlike the first student, who was completely obese, he was as skinny as a tree branch. He had a long, pointy nose that looked like it could pop an unlucky Drifloon. Ike saw the word _Waluigi _on his ID card.

The third student was not a human, but a turtle. His shell was decorated with jagged spikes. He had red hair that resembled the color of a tomato. Held in his hands was a paintbrush smeared with plasters of color. A bit frightened yet curious, Roy looked at his ID card, which read _Bowser Jr. _So... Those cards had everyone's names on it...

"Let's beat 'em up!" Bowser Jr exclaimed.

"Wait, why are you doing this?!" Ike asked suspiciously, trying to protect the bluenette boy.

"Oh, he-a just bump into us." Wario carelessly answered.

"That's a stupid reason to beat him up!" Mist shouted angrily, her teal eyes glaring at the bullies. "Look, he's scared! Stop bullying him!"

Roy, who wished he could retort something at the three bullies, gazed sternly at them.

"Look, if you won't leave him alone, we are going to report you." Ike added coldly.

The three bullies looked at each other and scowled. Nope, they were defiantly not getting suspended on the first day of school! Their parents will be furious!

"Let's-a go, guys!" Wario whispered. He and his small gang hurried away. Yet, that did not mean that he lost the courage to rudely yell a threatening insult to the poor blue-haired boy. "Don't think-a you won this-a time!" he ferociously retorted.

With a whimper, the blue-haired boy stepped out of his hiding spot and smiled timidly at his "saviors". "T-Thank you." he softly said. "I was really scared. Are you guys new here? I've never seen any of you here in Ninterty."

"Yeah, we're new here." Ike answered.

The boy suddenly gave Ike a hug. Ike's eyes widened in embarrassment as passing students have him strange looks. His face turned pink. What did this guy think he was doing?! Mist and Roy looked at each other and shrugged awkwardly. Well, it looked like the turtle suddenly came out of his shell...

"It's very nice to meet you! My name is Marth!" Marth introduced as he released Ike from his embrace. "What's yours?"

Ike quickly inhaled some fresh air, as Marth squeezed the life out of him with his monstrous embrace. "I'm Ike. This is my sister Mist and my adopted brother Roy."

Marth politely shook Mist's and Roy's hands. "Nice to meet you! I can guide you guys around Ninterty if you want me to."

"Sure." Ike said.

Flattered and feeling a bit embarrassed, Marth led Ike, Mist, and Roy around Nintery like an alpha dog. The entire school was completely different from Crimea's. First, Ninterty had a large, outdoor campus. It had a few towering trees that provided shade. Students were walking to their lockers or their classrooms freely. The students were free to roam around the campus to their destination. Crimea High was just a large building. Ike remembered trying to squeeze through the large squabbling crowds of cliques gathered in the middle of the hallways just to get to his locker.

"So, this is the cafeteria." Marth pointed to the largest building. Students were exiting the cafeteria with breakfast in their hands. "The A and B wing is where all of the consolers are. If you're having trouble with anything, you can go there for help."

"Can you show us where do you go for performing arts?" Mist requested.

"Sure!" Marth guided the three to a large, fancy (Compared to the other school buildings!) building. It had steps leading to the entrance. There was a shadowy ticket booth. On the top of the building, where everyone can see it, were letters that read: Performing Arts Center."

Ike eyed the students loitering around the building. Unlike the cliques in Crimea High, who just hung around in their little private groups, sneakily gossiped, and had the personality of a blank wall, these cliques were the rainbow of Ninterty's sky. There was not a single person who was identical to another. A dirty-blond Hylian dressed in a green vest over a white collared shirt, and a floppy green cap was seated on one of the steps. His azure eyes were glued to his notebook, which was filled with narratives. Seated next to him was a light blond-haired teen excitedly scribbling something down in his notebook. He was dressed in a pale yellow shirt under a brown leather jacket. A teenage girl with long dark blue hair sat in front of the two boys. A hairband similar to Marth's sat on her head. She was listening to her iPod, which was hidden in her navy blue jacket's pocket. A fifteen-year-old boy with a red cap and jacket was reading a book on raising Pokemon. An indigo-haired girl dressed in a casual red dress and stockings was talking and laughing with a green-haired boy dressed in knee-high shorts and blue jacket over a lime-green shirt, a Canidae, and an avian.

"This is the PAC." Marth said to Ike, Mist, and Roy. "It's where the school has performing arts and band. It's also where my friends and I hang out." Marth waved his hands at his friends. "Hi guys!"

Owain, Link, and Lucina immediately stopped what they were doing and hurried to the bluenette. "Hey there, Marth!" Owain greeted, giving him a high five.

Lucina gave Marth a quick hug. "How was break?"

"It was ok." Marth answered.

Link noticed Ike, Mist, and Roy. "Hello, my name is Link. What's yours?"

"I'm Ike." Ike replied, shaking Link's hand.

"Mist." Mist smiled sweetly at Link.

Roy could only helplessly look down at the ground and sigh in defenselessness. Geez, life was hard if you don't talk. Link awkwardly blinked and looked into Roy's joyless navy blue eyes.

"What's your name?" Link asked again, only to not get a response. "Am I scaring you?" The Hylian began to nervously twiddle his fingers.

"He's Roy." Ike quickly spoke, not wanting to make the conversation twice as awkward as it was. "I'm sorry, he doesn't like to talk."

"That's understandable." Link smiled at Roy in understanding.

With a timid blush, Roy smiled back. Lilina, who was talking to her friends Wolt, Fox, and Falco, unexpectedly looked over and saw the new three students.

"Hey, we hadn't seen them before." she said. "Let's meet them."

Roy saw Lilina and her friends heading towards him. His face turning red, he quickly cowered behind Link. Oh my gosh, there were so many people heading towards him...

"Hi, I'm Lilina." Lilina greeted the coy redhead. "What's your name?"

Ike noticed Lilina talking to Roy. "Oh, his name is Roy. He doesn't like to talk."

"Awww..." Lilina sighed sadly. She felt sorry for the redhead. "What's your name?"

"Ike. And this is my sister, Mist."

Mist cheerfully smiled at Lilina. "So, what class do you have for first period?" she asked.

"I have performing arts." Lilina answered.

"That's great! So do I!"

Owain overheard the conversation. He loudly shouted, "Welcome to the Drama Brigade!" His booming voice echoed throughout the building.

Red looked up from his book in annoyance. "Be quiet! Some of us are trying to study!"

Mist raised an eyebrow. "Drama Brigade? What's that?"

Wolt began to explain to Mist. "A year ago, Owain decided to call people who are in performing arts the Dawn Brigade. Why? I don't know."

After talking to Lucina, Marth turned to Ike. "So, what grade are you in?"

"I'm a junior." Ike answered.

Marth jumped in surprise. "Hraaah! I thought you were a senior!"

Ike smiled at Marth's astonishment. "How about you? Are you a sophomore?"

"No, I'm a junior too!" Marth answered. "Looks can be deceiving!"

"Yeah!"

All of a sudden, the school bell boomed loudly across the school. The students obediently stopped from what they were doing and began to head to their class.

Marth followed Ike and Roy out of the PAC. "So, what class do you have now?"

"I have AP English with Gaebora." Ike answered. "How about you?"

"Me too!" Marth answered with a beaming grin. "I wonder now Mr. Gaebora is."

"I hope he's not boring!" Ike said as he and Marth entered the classroom.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Ike, you should had said that Roy was simply too shy...**

**Here's a short chapter (Well, short compared to the other chapters.) This pretty much introduces most of the characters. In the next two chapters will introduce Ike's classes and ****_possibly give a tiny hint about Roy's past. _****I know, nothing really happened in this chapter. Hopefully, no one is falling asleep while reading my story, haha! XD Also, Ike's new high school has the crappiest name ever!**

**Again, I opened another obnoxious poll! Apparently, my imagination loves to give me an idea whenever I'm set on some things. So, I'm debating whether I should start on the sequel to Hollow or write a child brawlers story. So, please check out my poll!**

**Story Questions: **

**Are there any OOC characters so far? **

**So far, who's your favorite character? **


	7. Chapter 6: Déjà Vu

Much to Ike's dismay, Mr. Gaebora was as boring as watching paint dry. The only thing interesting about him was, he had an appearance of a horned owl. He talked endlessly about the obvious rules of the classroom, which included the infamous "no chewing gum", "no talking when the teacher is talking", and "no iPhones in class". Looking at Marth, who was seated next to him, Ike sighed in boredom. Roy's head slowly bobbed as he tried to stay awake.

"This quarter, we will do essays and read several classic books." Mr. Gaebora blabbered.

_"You don't say." _Ike grumpily thought to himself.

Marth noticed Ike's grumpiness. In effort to make him laugh, the bluenette naughtily whispered, "If I need to make a dictionary, I'll put a picture of Mr. Gaebora for the definition of "boring"!"

Ike and Roy chuckled, yet Mr. Gaebora did not hear them. He was too focused on his class lecture. Ike's smile fell to a bored look. C'mon, he had been talking to the whole class like for, an hour! They need a break from listening to him!

"Now, did you get all of that?" Mr. Gaebora asked.

Most of the class awkwardly stared at their teacher, before a half-asleep, unaware voice yawned, "No..."

"No, you didn't?" Mr. Gaebora answered. "Again, welcome to AP English 3..." he spoke, beginning his speech again.

The entire class softly groaned in agony. Pairs of angry eyes glared at the source of the voice. Ike buried his face into the palms of his hands and sighed loudly. Making sure nobody was looking, Roy snatched one of Marth's pencil and slowly stuck it up his nose. Drool slightly dripped from the corners of Marth's mouth.

After another thirty minutes, Mr. Gaebora finally stated, "Now, I am going to assign an essay that is due next class." That was followed by groans and and an "Awww, man!" Ike's and Marth's mouths dropped in shock. What?! They were given an assignment on the first day of school?! Roy only blinked, as he did not quite get what was an essay. "It can be about any topic."

"Any topic?" Marth asked mischievously.

"Anything." Mr. Gaebora answered bluntly.

Marth quietly giggled evilly, giving Ike a hint he was planning something devilish. Ike began to wonder what he should write about. He would like to write about how he and Mist met Roy, but he did not want to give Roy's backstory away. Maybe it could be about why did his family move to Smashville! Now, he should get started on it once when he gets home, since it takes him two days to comfortably finish an essay.

"This is going to be an easy essay." Ike heard a feminine voice say. He carefully looked behind him and saw a brunette Hylian talking to a blond female dressed in pink.

"It should be, Zelda!" Peach replied. "You're really smart!"

For a strange reason, Ike felt uncomfortable at the statement. Maybe it was a tone of jealously? Ike just shrugged the feeling off his shoulders.

At that moment, the bell rang. Everyone immediately got out of their seats and rushed out of the classroom. Yes! They were finally freed from this boring class!

"Hey Ike, what class do you have next?" Marth asked as he, Ike, and Roy walked out of the classroom.

"I have history with Toadsworth." Ike answered.

"Awww..." Marth sighed. "I have that class for third..."

"It's alright! We'll see each other next time!"

Ike and Roy waved goodbye to Marth and the two hurried to Mr. Toadsworth's class. When they arrived, they saw Link, Lucina, and Owain.

"Hey guys, over here!" Link called to Ike and Roy.

Ike and Roy quickly got into the seats next to Link and Owain. "So, how's Mr. Toadsworth?" Ike asked.

"I don't know." Lucina answered, shrugging her shoulders. "From what I heard, he's a teacher who transferred here. This is his first year here."

"I hope he isn't boring like Mr. Gaebora." Ike remarked. "I had him last period."

Link, Lucina, and Owain groaned in union.

"Good luck with him!" Owain replied. "I heard he gives out a lot of homework!"

"I know!" Ike said, shaking his head in sadness. "He already assigned us an essay!"

"That's insane!" Link commented loudly, clutching his fists.

Roy curiously looked around the classroom. He saw maps of continents, famous yet dead persons, and cheesy motivational posters. He eyed students sitting in their seats, talking to their neighbors. Out of curiosity, he tried to listen to their conversation, yet for no avail. Voices were mixed and blended in the air, like a smoothie. It was hard to pick out the little ingredients.

At that moment, a short man in his fifties entered the classroom. Mot of the class gazed at the funny mushroom-like hat he was wearing. If one were to see him from a distance, he would mistake him for a walking mushroom.

"Good morning class." he greeted. "I'm Mr. Toadsworth and I'll be your history teacher for this year."

"He dresses pretty strangely, doesn't he?" Ike heard a voice whisper.

"Yeah!" another voice replied.

Mr. Toadsworth heard the voices. Instead of scolding his students, he said, "Some of you heard that I transferred here. That is true. I transferred from Mushroom Kingdom High."

Some of the students' eyes widened. "No way!" a voice cried out. The Mushroom Kingdom was where all the famous celebrities lived! All of the movies were filmed there!

"Why did you transfer here?" Link asked.

"I got a bit tired of city life and decided to move to a much quieter place." Mr. Toadsworth answered. "Just because you're living in a rich city does not mean you enjoy it. Now, this year we will be studying the world's events. However, it isn't going to be just about memorizing dead people and wars. We will be discussing about how they are connected to today."

After when Mr. Toadsworth finished his lecture, the bell rung. Admittedly, Ike had a feeling that he was going to enjoy his history class.

"So, what do you think of Mr. Toadsworth, Roy?" Ike asked the smaller male.

Roy just smiled.

"Do you like him?"

Roy happily nodded his head.

"I wish Mr. Gaebora was like him." Ike growled at the name. "If he was, then I might actually feel motivated to do his work!"

Roy suddenly looked behind him and quickly nudged Ike in the arm.

"What's wrong?" Ike asked as he turned around. He saw Link hurrying towards him. "Hey, Link!"

"I think we have the same class together!" Link panted as he caught up with Ike. "I saw your schedule on your binder, so I took a quick look at it. If I saw correctly, we both have Mrs. Miriel for Algebra 2!"

"You're right." Ike replied, feeling relieved.

As soon as they entered Mrs. Miriel's class, they saw an assigned seating chart on the whiteboard, much to their agony. It was arranged by last names. Most of the students were seated in their assigned desks, blankly staring at the whiteboard and wall. A few of them were talking to their friends, who luckily had last names alphabetically next to theirs.

"Grr, I hate seating charts..." Ike grumbled to himself.

"E... F... G!" Link quickly said to himself. "Hey Ike, your last name is Greil, right? That means we are seated next to each other!"

"That's good." Ike smiled at the fact.

When they sat down in their assigned seats, Link looked to his right and saw Zelda scribbling some words down in her notebook. His face turning pink, Link felt his heart excitedly pumping blood throughout his warm body. He began to feel a funny, strange feeling in his stomach. Roy raised an eyebrow at Link. What was wrong?

Ike noticed Link's erratic actions. "Hey Link, what's going on? Why are you looking at her like that?"

"That's Zelda!" Link quickly whispered. "I have a crush on her ever since I was a freshman!"

"Why?" Ike raised an eyebrow. How could a nice, nerdy guy like Link fall in love with a superior, popular girl like Zelda?

"She's smart, beautiful, talented, kind— Well, at first glance, she can be snobby but, she can be nice!"

Zelda overheard Link's words. "Excuse me, what were you saying?" she asked doubtfully.

"Nothing!" Link replied with a smile that did not seem fake. "We were just saying nice things about you! Haha!"

As soon as when Link said his truthful statement, Zelda instantly resumed writing sentences down in her notebook, just as when Mrs. Miriel entered the classroom.

"Hello class, I am Mrs. Miriel and welcome to Algebra 2." she introduced.

Ike mentally groaned loudly. She sounded as just as boring as Mr. Gaebora! There was a small yawn from the corner of the classroom.

"Now, every day, I will give you a lesson." Mrs. Miriel continued. "I don't believe in giving out homework, so I will give you the rest of class to finish your homework after the lecture. During this time, I expect you to finish your work. However, if you decide to goof off instead, I'll take the opportunity to get your work done away. Water is only allowed here. You may take your phones out once when my lecture is finished."

Ike heard an obnoxious snore behind him. He turned around and saw a few classmates drifting into sleep. Mrs. Miriel did not seem to care, as she only cared about her lecture.

"My lecture is over." she concluded, making some of her sleeping students suddenly open an eye. "You are free to talk to your friends or play with your phones."

In a blink of an eye, everyone was out of their seats, talking to their friends. Some of the students were still seated at their desks, lazily surfing the Internet on their phones. Ike blinked strangely and shifted in his seat to turn to Link. Well, that escalated quickly...

"Link, do you have Japanese 3 with Lowell?" Ike asked.

"No, I don't take Japanese." Link answered. "I take Hylian."

"That's cool!" Ike replied. "Is it hard to learn?"

"Some people say it is." Link turned to gaze at Zelda. "Personally, I don't think it is. Then again, Hylian is my second language."

Once when the bell rung, Ike and Roy hurried to their fourth period class, Japanese 3. Upon arriving at the class, they spotted a few familiar faces.

"Hey Ike and Roy!" Owain called loudly across the classroom, causing some of his classmates to stare. Lilina and Wolt smiled and waved.

Ike and Roy sat down at desks adjacent to Owain's, Lilina's, and Wolt's seats. "Hey, guys!" Ike greeted. "I didn't know that you guys took Japanese!"

"Well, Wolt and I were supposed to be in Japanese 2." Lilina spoke up. "But, we got bumped up a level."

"That's pretty nice." Owain added. "I wonder if they have Japanese 5!"

"Nah, I don't think so." Wolt laughed.

Roy heard the door squeak open. He looked up and saw Marth enter the room. He seemed as normal as ever, yet there was something different about him. Instead of having a cheery smile on his face, he had a blank, hypnotized look. His cerulean eyes lost their small twinkling shine.

Just as when Marth sat in a seat next to Roy's, Roy leaned over and gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder. In response, Marth looked at his friends and forced a fake smile. "Hello, guys." he greeted, having a small tone of misery in his voice. "It's nice seeing you here." With that, he turned away and miserably looked at his blank desk.

"What's wrong?" Ike asked worriedly. "Did Wario and his gang bully you again?"

"If they did, I'm not going to be hesitant to teach them a lesson!" Owain added with a scowl.

"Marth, please tell us!" Lilina said sternly. "We can help you!"

"Yeah!" Wolt agreed as he nodded his head along with Roy.

Marth sighed. "I'm just tired. Don't worry, I'll be better once when class ends."

Ike shrugged his shoulders. "If you say so..."

Marth smiled back before he turned to look at Mr. Lowell, who was checking his email on the computer. While his friends were happily chatting to each other, assuming Marth was ok, Ike took a quick glance at Mr. Lowell's physical appearance. He was a man in his late thirties and early forties. He had short blue hair and matching cerulean eyes. Wait, blue hair and matching cerulean eyes? That physical appearance seemed familiar... Ike took a quick look at both Marth and Mr. Lowell. He shared some of Marth's physical traits! Could it be...?

Hoping that Marth would not notice, Ike peered at his ID card and skimmed his last name. L-O-W-E-L-L. Ike quickly memorized the letters and looked at his schedule. Japanese 3: Lowell.

Ike's eyes widened slightly in astonishment. _"So, Mr. Lowell is Marth's dad... Maybe Marth feels pressured to do well in this class." _

After replying to his last email, Mr. Lowell finally got out of his seat and introduced himself. "Konnichiwa, minna." he greeted in Japanese. "I am Mr. Lowell and I will be your Japanese 3 teacher for this year. By now, you are expected to know how to say casual phrases, describe a person, place, or thing, and say something that happened in the past, present, and future."

Mr. Lowell's voice was low and stern, indicating that he did not tolerate joking around and excuses. Unlike Ike's last three classes, none of the students showed boredom, laziness, and immaturity. This was it! There was no time to fool around! Everyone was here to learn!

_"No wonder Marth looks so sad." _Ike thought to himself.

When fourth period was over, everyone cheerfully left their classes for lunch. Ike and Roy followed Owain, Marth, Lilina, and Wolt to the PAC. Like if nothing happened, Marth happily skipped ahead of his friends.

"Man, Mr. Lowell is really serious!" Owain remarked as he and his friends dumped their belongings on the steps.

Ike sat down and brought out his lunch, which consisted of a bag of potato chips, a bottle of water, a banana, and a Nutella sandwich. "I know!" he replied.

"Wolt and I are getting lunch from the cafeteria." Lilina said before she hurried away.

"We'll be back soon!" Wolt added, chasing after Lilina. "Hey, Lilina! Wait for me!"

Ike smiled as he watched the two sophomores race away. He saw Link, Lucina, and Mist heading towards him, laughing at a joke Link said. Behind him, Red was playing a video game on his Gameboy with Fox and Falco watching.

Taking his lunch out of his backpack, Roy plopped down next to Ike and began to nibble on his chips. Ike smiled a bit as he sipped his water. He felt that today went better than expected. At least he did not get dumped in a garbage can like he did back in Crimea High as a freshman.

"Hey, Ike!" Link greeted as he sat next to Ike. He popped some grapes into his mouth.

Lucina smiled at the bluenette before turning to talk to Owain.

"How was your last class?" Ike asked Link.

Link swallowed and licked his lips. "It was good. What about you?"

"Well, Mr. Lowell is really stern, so... It was a bit scary for me."

His ears twitching, Link laughed at Ike's statement. "From what I heard from people who had Mr. Lowell, he's actually understanding despite his looks!"

Roy, who finished his bag of chips and began to drink his water, saw two teachers taking art supplies out of a car's trunk. The two were in their early thirties and dressed in similar attires; their attire included jeans, a T-shirt, and old, worn sneakers. One of the teachers was large compared to his partner, had short indigo hair, dark blue eyes, and wore a midnight blue, short-sleeved shirt. He carried only one box. The second teacher was a few inches shorter than his partner, wore a long-sleeved, royal blue shirt, and had cardinal red hair and navy blue eyes. He walked with a slight limp as he carried three large boxes containing art supplies.

"Eliwood, you can't carry that much." Roy heard the first teacher boldly warn as he shut the car's trunk. "Let me help you."

"It's ok, Hector!" The second teacher softly replied with a weak smile. "I can do it!"

Just as when Eliwood walked five steps, the Beautifly effect came into play. He felt a blistering pain in his right leg, causing him to collapse with a high-pitched cry of pain. The boxes tumbled out of his hand, spilling out spray paint cans.

Hector immediately hurried to his friend's side. "Are you alright?!"

With a small cry; the loudest noise Ike heard him exclaim at that moment, Roy pulled Ike's arm and hurried towards Eliwood and Hector.

"Whoa, there's an accident!" Link shouted, quickly getting up. "Let's go help them!"

Ike nodded and the two teens hurried to the scene. There, Roy was gathering as much spray paint as he could hold and putting them back into the boxes. Ike and Link joined in and aided the redhead as Hector carefully helped Eliwood up.

"Thank you very much." Eliwood thanked sincerely. He painstakingly took a small step with his aching right foot.

"No problem!" Link replied cheerfully. "We just wanted to help!"

Unintentionally, Eliwood and Roy suddenly looked up directly each other. Large, innocent navy blue orbs made contact with experienced, narrow identical orbs. A familiar yet mysterious atmosphere struck the two redheads, causing them to look away from each other in recoil. What was that feeling? It felt familiar... yet far...

"Do you need help carrying these to your classroom?" Ike asked.

"No, we don't." Hector answered. "Thanks anyway!"

Hector and Eliwood headed away, each carrying two boxes. As they went back to the PAC, Ike said, "You know, one of the teachers looked a lot like Roy!"

"I know!" Link replied. "It must be some kind of coincidence!"

If Roy could talk, he would tell them that it was not a coincidence. _"What was that feeling?" _he asked himself. _"It was like, I've met that man at one point, but when?"_

* * *

**Author's Notes? Urm... Cliffhanger? *Gets chased by an angry mob of readers***

**Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Gotta enjoy these humungous dinners! XD Well, I suppose this is my Thanksgiving gift to my followers. **

**This and the next chapter will introduce Ike's teachers, classmates, and possibly hint future chapters. Just a heads up, some of the teachers will be referred by their first name, unless one of their students is talking about them. (My, that didn't sound smart! Hopefully, some of you got the idea!) Also, I know that most high schools don't teach Japanese. This is a fictional story, so I can do whatever I want! *laughs evilly* **

**For the poll, the choice with the most votes is the child brawlers fanfic. I'm still keeping it up, so please vote if you hadn't!**

**Story Questions:**

**What is your favorite school subject? Mines is tied between art and history if anyone is wondering. **

**Why do you think Marth acts miserable in Ike's Japanese 3 class? **

**Why do you think Roy has a feeling that he had seen Eliwood before? **

**(Possible spoiler question, you don't need to answer this): Why does Roy look almost exactly like Eliwood? **


	8. Chapter 7: Light's Shadow

As Ike listened to his chemistry teacher Mr. Birch explain to his class what topics they were going to learn this quarter, Roy gazed at the blank whiteboard. The words coming out of Mr. Birch's mouth were garbled and blurry to him, as his thoughts were in the depths of the sea of wonder.

Why did that red-haired man seem so familiar? As soon when he accidentally glanced into his navy-blue eyes, Roy felt an eerie feeling striking him in the soul like a lightning bolt. There was no doubt; the man might have a relationship with him! They looked similar! But if he did, wouldn't he recognize him? That meant that they had never met once in their lives. During lunch, Link mentioned an odd fact; there were some people in the world who closely resembled you. So, they might not be related through blood. Yet, why did he sense that he once knew that man?

After twenty minutes, Mr. Birch finally finished his lecture and let his class free to do whatever they want. Most of the students moved out of their seats to talk to their friends or played an app on their phones. Some of the students, mainly the ones sitting at the front, joked with Mr. Birch.

As he got out of his seat, Ike stretched and looked around the lab-like classroom, trying to recognize some faces. He spotted Red still sitting in his assigned seat, playing a game on his Gameboy. A lonely blonde looked blankly at the wall.

Ike turned to Roy, who was staring blankly into space. "Roy, what's wrong?" Ike asked worriedly.

Roy jumped slightly, smiled, and shook his head.

"Nothing? Are you sure?"

The redhead's cardinal hair bobbed as he nodded happily.

Ike shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, if you say so."

Ike's worry ceased as he and Roy went to their AP Art History class. The classroom was a combination of a library and an art studio. It had shelves lined against the walls, containing thick-covered books. A table with art supplies sitting on its flat surface stood next to the whiteboard. Large tables with several seats were in placement of desks.

As they sat down at a table, Ike glanced around the room in effort to recognize some faces. Sadly, he could not find any of his friends, just like in his chemistry class. The only face he recognized was his teacher Mr. Ostia, or Hector, but he did not seem to notice them. He was busily organizing some papers.

Roy heard the door open, looked up, and saw Link, Marth, and Owain walking in, chatting quietly. With a beaming smile, he nudged Ike and pointed to them.

"Hey look, it's Ike and Roy!" Marth whispered to his friends. The three sat at the table where Ike and Roy were sitting.

"Hey guys." Ike greeted with a smile. He was relieved that he got some company.

"So, I heard that this class is hard." Link began.

"All AP classes are hard." Owain replied.

"I heard that Mr. Ostia doesn't assign a due date for homework." Marth added. "That's good. It doesn't make us stressful."

Once when the bell rang, Hector went to the front of the classroom and began to introduce himself to his class. "Good afternoon, class. I am Mr. Ostia and welcome to AP Art History class. In this class, we will be discussing about characteristics of art pieces and how they relate to history and today. Now..."

While he listened to Hector's lecture, Ike unintentionally looked at Roy and noticed the emotionless color in his eyes. His worry began once again. Seriously, what was Roy thinking?

"Roy, what's wrong?" Ike silently asked the redhead.

Roy blinked, snapped out of his thoughts, smiled and shook his head.

"You don't have to keep it a secret from me. Do you need to use the restroom?"

Roy shook his head no.

"Are you tired or sick?"

Repeat.

Ike shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if you say so. Let me know if something's wrong."

His attention returning to Hector, Ike halfheartedly listened to his explanations. Hmmm... The teacher that took a stumble during lunch almost looked exactly like Roy. Did Roy know him? Maybe they were related... But, the teacher did not recognize him. Roy must had noticed that and tried to trace a connection.

_"Beeeeeep!" _The bell rang, just as Hector finished his lecture. The entire class quickly gathered their stuff and headed out the door.

"So, where are you guys heading to?" Link asked Ike and Roy as they went down the hallway. He waved goodbye to Marth and Owain, who nodded and walked ahead of them.

"PE." Ike answered. "I didn't take it in my sophomore year so... Yeah."

After parting with Link, Ike and Roy entered the gym. It had a large basketball court with several bleachers. The air smelled funky and disgusting. Its scent reminded Ike of a seven-week-old tuna casserole his mother accidentally left in the fridge years ago. The students were sitting in the bleachers. Their PE teacher stood in front of them, waiting for the bell to ring.

"Let's see, my teacher is Miss. Trainer..." Ike said to himself, looking around. He saw three teachers; two of them were men, one of them was a woman. It was quite obvious who was Miss. Trainer. She was a black-haired lady with light skin and dark eyes. Her attire included a light blue shirt, black sweatpants, and white tennis shoes.

"Follow me, Roy." Ike and Roy hurried to the bleachers and sat down. Much to their angst, they did not see any familiar faces.

Miss. Trainer did not say much. She was as talkative as a sleeping Snorlax. The only things she mentioned were rules for PE, which included being dressed in your PE clothes, don't wear jewelry, and earning points for the day. After her explanation, she passed out forms regarding health care, which needed to be filled out by a parent. Most of the students just quickly browsed through the form and lazily stuffed it into their parents. In contrast, Ike carefully folded it and put it into his binder. He hated digging through his backpack like a lost Diglett for a pathetic piece of paper.

For the rest of class, the students were allowed to either play basketball or sit in the bleachers. While their classmates talked nosily to their friends and played with their phones, Ike and Roy watched some people playing a rowdy game of basketball. Their deadpan expression curved into a smile when the witnessed one of the players tripping over his own legs.

"This is boring." Ike commented in a low tone. Roy yawned softly and sleepily nodded his head.

The bell finally rang after what seemed to be two hours. Ike and Roy hurried to their Public Space and Design class. It was exactly next to their AP Art History class.

Ike saw Link, Marth, Lucina, and Owain waiting outside of the classroom with several other students. His cobalt blue eyes filled with joy. His friends were in this class! This was going to be very interesting... Roy's smile widened as he looked at his friends.

"Hi Ike!" Marth greeted cheerfully, waving his hand hysterically.

"Hey guys!" Ike said happily. "I never knew that you guys were in Public Space and Design!"

"Same here!" Link replied.

Owain gave Link a high-five. "It's nice seeing you here!"

Ike took a quick glance at his schedule. "So... Where is Mr. Pherae? Is he in there?"

"I think so." Lucina answered.

"How is he?" Ike asked. "Is he boring?" Ike dreaded boring teachers.

"I'm not sure." Link hesitantly replied. "From what I heard, he's really nice and understanding. However, he can also be a klutz due to his injured right leg."

At that moment, Eliwood opened the door to his classroom. "You may come in now." he said quietly.

The classroom was large and a bit messy. It had four large tables with several chairs. Sitting on the shelves were a few sculptures made of paper mâché. Eliwood's desk, which had a computer, paint, small knives, and brushes sitting on it, stood at a corner of the room. The air was extremely cool and fresh like the inside of a refrigerator. A small flat TV was glued to the wall. There were three doors other than the entrance; the first one led to a storage room, the second led to another classroom (Probably the AP Art History one.), and the third one led to the back of the classrooms outside.

Roy, who sat down at a table with Ike and the others, quickly recognized Eliwood. He nudged Ike and pointed at him.

"Yes, Roy." Ike only said, giving him a pat on the head. "That's Mr. Pherae, the teacher we helped during lunch. He does look like you."

A few more students entered the classroom and sat at a table with their friends before the bell rang.

"Well, good day everyone." Eliwood began with a soft smile. "I am Mr. Pherae and welcome to Public Space and Design. In this class, we will start on multiple art projects that will be presented in public. Next class, we will get started on flowers for the Homecoming Parade. Did anyone go to last year's parade?"

A few students raised their hands.

"That's good." Eliwood continued. "Although homecoming is not until a month away, time passes by really quickly. The sooner we get finished with these flowers, the better!" Taking a small huff of air, Eliwood pointed to the whiteboard, which had a list of things needed. "I'm not forcing you, but I would like any small containers and cardboard boxes you don't need. It will defiantly help the class." he concluded. "You may do what you want right now."

After when Eliwood finished speaking, he went to his desk and began to play some tranquil music as his students began to chat with their neighbors. Some of them sneakily took out their phones. Hey, he did not mention not allowing phones in class, however they must be careful! He might notice and prohibit them! The students playing with their phones feel a wave of nervousness tumble over them as Eliwood passed by, organizing some supplies.

Ike and his friends turned to each other.

"Well, I can't wait to get started on the flowers." Marth spoke with a smile.

"Yeah!" Owain exclaimed. "I want to experiment with the design and colors!"

"Hey guys, this might be obvious but, Roy looks nearly exactly like Mr. Pherae!" Lucina pointed out.

Marth nodded. "Yeah! I wonder why!"

"I think they are related." Owain replied to Link's comment. Roy looked at Owain in shock and shook his head no. "Err, Roy?" Owain awkwardly asked.

"Roy has never seen Mr. Pherae before." Ike answered for the redhead. "That means, they can't be related."

"Also, there are people in the world who closely resemble you." Link added. "There's a small percentage that you will actually meet them in person."

Owain shrugged his shoulders. "Well, if you say so."

Ike took out his iPhone and logged onto his Smashbook account. "Hey, who has a Smashbook account?"

Link's azure eyes glittered for a split second. "I do! Send me a request!"

"Count me in!" Owain shouted.

"Meee!" Marth piped up.

"I do, but I hardly use it." Lucina answered cooly. "Just saying."

Ike quickly sent friend requests to his friends. "I got all of you!"

At that moment, Red unexpectedly came and sat down at their table. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

Owain's mouth dropped. "Red!? You're also in the Art Academy?!"

Red smiled at the blond's reaction. "Yeah, I decided to try something different." He looked at Ike and Roy. "You guys are Ike and Roy, right?"

"Yes." Ike answered.

"It's nice meeting you." Red shook both of their hands. "I'm Red. You might've seen me around the PAC."

"I think you're in my Chemistry class." Ike replied. "You probably didn't see me because I sit in the back."

"That explains a lot." Red said.

When the bell rung, Ike exited his last class with all of his friends. Lucina and Owain quickly walked ahead of them, since they needed to go to their lockers. Many students passed by without a care, locked in their friends' conversations.

"So, what are you guys doing after school?" Ike asked.

"I'm going to tend my Pokemon farm." Red answered.

Ike was a bit surprised. "You own a Pokemon farm? That's cool!"

Roy tilted his head. Pokemon? Oh, those tamable monsters! He saw a few pictures of them in books!

"How about you?" Red asked.

Ike made a grumpy frown. "I have to get started on an essay Mr. Gaebora assigned for AP English 3."

Red sighed and shook his head. "Well, that gotta suck. That's pretty much why I don't take AP classes. They give out too much homework."

"How about you, Marth?" Ike asked the smiling bluenette.

"I'm gonna get started on my essay! I can't wait!" Marth grinned devilishly. "I had a great topic to write about!"

Link recognized the naughty tone in Marth's voice. "What is it?" he asked curiously.

Marth giggled impishly. "I'm not telling. I'm going to show it to you tomorrow!"

Link blinked and looked at Ike. "Well, I'm not assigned any work, so I guess I have lots of spare time. I'll probably walk around Smashville with my little brother Toon. He's in sixth grade if you're wondering."

"Well, you're pretty lucky!" Ike replied.

The five friends walked to the front of the school, where they parted.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Link called, walking down the sidewalk.

Marth got into a sky blue car and waved goodbye as it drove off.

Red gave Ike and Roy a high-five. "Talk to you later." he said as he got onto a yellow bus. Ike and Roy nodded and watched people crowd into the bus.

"Goodbye!" Ike heard Mist exclaim as she waved goodbye to Lilina and Wolt. She hurried to her older brother's side. "Hi Ike and Roy! How was today?"

Ike smiled. "It was pretty good, other than the fact I got an assignment from one of my AP classes."

"Awww..." Mist looked around the street. "Do you see Mom?"

"Ike glanced at his surroundings and shook his head. "No. The traffic must be really busy!"

"I see... Well, what do you think of this school?" Mist asked. "I think it's great!"

"I like it here." Ike answered.

"More than Crimea?"

"No! Well, maybe— Just because I like this school doesn't me I like it more than Crimea High!" Ike still missed his old friends.

"If you say so... Everyone is really happy here, aren't they?" Mist questioned.

"Yeah... Happy..." Ike responded, still remembering the inevitable day when his parents announced that they were moving away to Smashville. He was hit with the punch of dread.

_"Maybe the reason why everyone's so happy is that they never faced hardships in their lives." _Ike thought to himself. _"I used to be as happy as these guys before I moved out of Crimea." _

Yet, Ike was ignorant of the fact that **if you were closer to the light, your shadow was much darker. **

* * *

**Author's Notes: Darn it, Ike! Get over it! (I think that's what most of you are thinking now!)**

**Well, here's chapter 7! Most of the future chapters may reveal Ike and his friends' pasts. I'm kinda worried because I feel that it's going to be the boring part of the story. Hopefully, it wouldn't, since I have the entire fanfic planned out. Also, winter break is going to start in a few weeks, so I might start to update more often. =) **

**As for the poll, the sequel to Hollow has the most votes (Including a guest's vote). So, I'm truly going to start on the sequel after this story is finished! The child brawler story might be scrapped, held off, or started along with the sequel. **

**Oh yeah, I'm thinking of starting a web comic based on my fanfics! Once when I'm finished with the script and sketches, I'll start uploading the comics onto my dA account! I'll announce it in a chapter! The first comic is going to be based on the fanfic "Lone Flame" with some changes. **

**Obnoxious Story Questions:**

**What do you think Marth's essay is going to be about? Do you think he's going to get into trouble?**

**So far, which character resembles you the most?**

**(You don't need to answer this): I'm thinking of working on a SSB fanfic that is an adaption of a Disney movie. What movie(s) should I do? (Don't worry, the sequel to Hollow is my top priority.) **


	9. Chapter 8: Perfection

Before Ike knew it, Friday came in a blink of an eye. It was nearly unbelievable to him; he never knew time went by that quickly. As he sat in his Japanese 3 class, he repeatedly tapped his pencil on his desk as he gazed at the clock. In ten minutes, school would be over.

Roy, who finished his classwork nearly thirty minutes ago, was dead asleep on his desk. The redhead snored quietly to himself and sighed softly in his sleep. Ike smiled slightly and watched his adopted brother doze. Although Ike assumed that he had never learned Japanese before, Roy was doing unbelievably well. He managed to catch every single detail class without having to ask questions. (Then again, Roy never talked.)

"Gee, this is boring." Lilina whispered to Wolt.

"Yeah." Wolt replied. "I just finished my work and I don't know what do do now!"

Lilina, who was seated in front of Owain, turned around and saw him playing on his Nintendo 3DS. "Owain!" she hissed in warning. "You know, if Mr. Lowell catches you playing on your 3DS, he's going to take it away!"

"I don't think he cares!" Owain huffed, not taking his eyes off the game. "Besides, school's nearly over!"

"But—" Lilina started in protest.

"Hey!" Mr, Lowell suddenly yelled at the corner of the classroom. "Finish your work!"

Lilina and Owain jumped at the strict order. His fingers tingling, Owain carefully and unobtrusively slipped his 3DS into his backpack, gazed at the whiteboard, and whistled uneasily. Mr. Lowell was infamous in Ninterty for his harsh sternness. Admittedly, Ike had to give Marth credit. He had to deal with him every day! No wonder why he was so darn cheerful outside of Japanese 3!

Mr. Lowell was browsing through something on his computer. Something extremely disturbing caught his eyes. His narrow, cold eyes widened slightly. What was this...?!

"Marusu-kun, come here." he ordered his son. The low, wolf-like tone of his voice sent a chill down his students' spine.

Marth, who was sitting in his desk and finishing his work, quickly rise out of his seat and nervously trudged to his father's desk. "H-Hai?"

Ike watched the father and son's conversation. He tried his hardest to listen to the conversation, yet he failed to. The two bluenettes were conversing in Japanese. They were using vocabulary that he had never learned in class. Yet, from what he could tell from Marth's expression, it was not a friendly conversation. Mr. Lowell angrily growled Japanese to his son in a low voice, causing tears of guilt to fill Marth's eyes.

Once when his father finished his conversation, Marth quickly blinked his tears away and went back to his seat. Ike was dreadfully worried about him. Marth looked shameful about something...

"Marth, are you ok?" Ike asked.

Marth made contact with Ike and smiled. "I'm ok." he said.

His smile did not relieve Ike, though. His cerulean eyes did not smile with his fake grin. "Are you sure?" Ike asked again,

"Don't worry! I am sure!" Marth answered. His voice faltered at the end of his sentence.

"If you say so..."

Once when the bell rang, all of Marth's classmates quickly got out of their seats and hurried out of the classroom of dread. After saying goodbye to Ike, Roy, Owain, Lilina, and Wolt, Marth slowly packed his stuff into his backpack and sat in his seat, miserably staring at the floor. So... The weekend was finally here... That meant that he needed to endure forty-eight hours with his strict father...

Mr. Lowell finished packing his stuff in his bag. "Saa, Marusu-kun. Ikimashou." he said.

"H...Hai..." Marth whimpered softly.

Marth followed his father to the parking lot. After when the two put their stuff in the trunk, they got into their car and drove off.

"Marusu-kun, I'm disappointed in you." Mr. Lowell said as they drove down the street.

"Oto-sama, I tried my hardest in AP English 3!" Marth timidly protested. "Really! That class is really hard! Everyone didn't do good on their essay!"

When the car stopped at a stoplight, Mr. Lowell suddenly grabbed his son by the collet of his jacket and gave him a violent slap on the face. The abrupt action caused Marth to scream out in pain. Tears began to roll down his sore face as the bluenette began to cry hysterically.

"I don't care if your class also didn't do well on their essay!" Mr. Lowell harshly yelled at his wailing son. "What really matters is if you did well! Writing about why your teacher Mr. Gaebora is boring will not give you far in life!"

"B-B-But Oto-sama!" Marth started weakly through his tears. He never finished his sentence, as his anguish got the best of him and caused him to bury his wet face into his hand, sobbing uncontrollably.

Mr. Lowell sighed to himself in frustration and ignored his son's agony.

That night, Ike was having dinner with Mist, Elena, and Roy. Gawain was busy with work and could not make it back in time. Ike did not care; his father always started stupid, boring topics during dinner, such as doing well in school, what happened in school, and what happened during work.

As Ike finished his mashed potatoes, he browsed through Smashbook on his phone, commenting on his friends' posts. Elena found this to be a nuisance, however.

"Ike, how many times do I have to tell you, put your phone away!" she ordered in annoyance.

"Fine..." Ike grumbled. He set his phone on the table next to his plate.

"So, how was school today?" Elena asked, satisfied that Ike stopped browsing on his phone.

"Pretty good!" Mist answered cheerfully. "I'm having fun with my friends Owain, Lilina, and Wolt!"

Roy simply smiled and nodded. Elena assumed that Roy had a great day.

"It's ok." Ike answered. "I got my essay back from Mr. Gaebora. He gave me a C. What a hard grader! I thought I would get at least a B!"

"Well, AP classes are harder than normal classes." Elena commented with a soft smile. "Don't worry Ike, it was your first essay."

"I guess so." Ike replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Let's talk about your teachers." Elena spoke. "What do you think of them?"

"My favorite teacher is Mrs. Pherae." Mist said. "She's one of the drama teachers in school."

"Mrs. Pherae?" Ike asked. "I have a teacher named Mr. Pherae. Maybe both of them are married?"

"Yeah!" Mist replied. "On the first day of school, she mentioned that her husband works here! How is Mr. Pherae?"

"He's really nice and understanding." Ike answered. "However, he is a bit clumsy and doesn't really know his limits. Yesterday, he was carrying some paint cans and wasn't watching where he was going. He accidentally stumbled over a chair and fell down. It was chaotic!"

"Awww..." Mist huffed.

"Well, he is a good teacher." Ike continued. "He's really friendly, compared to Mr. Lowell, my Japanese 3 teacher."

"I heard about him!" Mist piped up. "Is he really strict?"

"Yeah!" Ike answered. He shook his head sadly. "He expects all of us to do well. I kinda feel sorry for Marth..."

"From what I heard from Owain, Marth is Mr. Lowell's son. Is that true?"

"Yeah." Ike answered. "I have to give him credit for enduring him every day!"

All of a sudden, Ike's phone vibrated. Wondering who had just sent him a text, Ike picked up his phone and skimmed through the message. It read: _Ike, can I tell you something? It's an emergency!_

"Who sent you a message?" Mist asked.

"It's from Lucina." Ike answered. He quickly texted back. _"What's wrong Lucina?"_

_ "Marth has run away from home." _

Ike gasped softly. _"What?! Are you serious?"_

_ "I'm serious. My dad had just got a phone call reporting that he disappeared. He now drove off to the police station to help with the search. Before he left, he told me to let everyone know that he disappeared."_

_ "Should I help?"_

_ "Yes, please! I got to go now. Owain is waiting for me to start our search."_

_ "Wait, where are you searching?!"_

_ "In Ninterty. Text me when you find him, ok?_

_ "Ok." _With that, Lucina was gone.

Ike's face was as pale as paper. Oh no... Why did Marth run away?! He knew that something was wrong at the end of Japanese 3!

"What's wrong?" Mist softly asked.

"Lucina just told me that Marth ran away." Ike answered. His family gasped in horror. Roy unhappily looked down at the floor. "They are now starting a search. I want to help them look for them."

"I want to help too!" Mist replied in determination. She looked at her mother. "Mom, can we go look for him?"

"Yes." Elena began to quickly gather all of the dished and set them in the sink. "I don't want anything to happen to him."

"Great! Where should we look for him?"

"How about in our neighborhood?" Mist suggested.

"Sure."

Ike, Mist, Roy, and Elena hurried out of their house, into their neighborhood. As they strolled around the streets, they called Marth's name, hoping that they will have a response. Sadly, no matter how many times they called his name and how loud they shouted it, the bluenette replied. Ike was a bit scared. Something might happen to him, knowing how harsh reality could be.

"Hey Ike, text Lucina and ask her if anyone found Marth yet." Mist said, sighing.

Ike nodded, took his phone, and quickly texted to Lucina. _"Did anyone find Marth yet? We didn't find him."_

Lucina immediately replied. _"No. :(" _

"No one found him." Ike sighed unhappily. Mist felt tears filling her eyes. Elena was starting to get worried.

A strange feeling struck Roy's senses like a bolt of lightning. With a soft cry, he tugged Ike's arm and pointed down the street heading towards the park.

"Roy, what is it?" Ike asked. "Did you see Marth?"

Roy shook his his head no and suddenly dashed down the street.

"Where are you going?!" Ike exclaimed, chasing after Roy. "Come back!" Mist and Elena hurried after the two males.

His hair whipping as he ran, Roy paid no heed to Ike's calls. He dashed directly to the park, where Ike and Mist met him. He did not know why; he just had a feeling that Marth was there!

Just as when Roy entered the park, he saw the lonely Marth sitting on a bench, hugging himself as he wept quietly to himself. Roy's footsteps slowed down as he approached his friend. He did not want to alarm him.

Marth's ears caught the sounds of footsteps cautiously stepping towards him. He looked around and saw Roy walking closer to him. "Roy..." he sniffed.

Roy approached him and gave him a warm hug. Marth returned the embrace and continued to weep.

"Marth!" Marth heard Ike exclaim. He looked up and saw Ike, Mist, and Elena hurry towards him. "Are you ok?"

Marth released Roy from his embrace and stood up. "N...No." he weakly answered.

"Why did you run away?" Mist asked.

"My... My Dad doesn't want me around." Marth answered as he fought back tears.

"Why? Did it had something to do with the conversation you guys had today in Japanese 3?"

"Y...Yeah." Marth began. "He was upset that I did a really bad job on my AP English 3 essay. I tried to explain to him that everyone did not do well but.. He didn't listen... He never listens."

"I think your father misunderstood you." Elena spoke up. "He must've thought that you were using your entire class as an excuse for not doing well. I think you should've admitted that you didn't do well and promise that you'll do better."

"He always want me to do better!" Marth added, wiping his tears.

"Your father just wanted you to succeed." Elena continued. "He just didn't know how to explain his feelings to you."

Marth slightly nodded in understanding.

"Marth, do you feel better now?" Ike asked gently.

"Yes..." Marth trembled a bit.

Ike gave Marth a huge hug, making the younger bluenette snuggle against his body before releasing him. "Should I text Lucina now?"

Elena nodded in approval. Ike quickly took out his phone and sent a message to Lucina.

_"Hey Lucina, we just found Marth."_

Lucina instantly replied. _"Really? That's great! :D Take him to the police station. His family is waiting there."_

_ "Ok."_

Ike looked up at his family. "We need to take Marth to the police station. Do you know where it is, Mom?"

Elena nodded her head. "I think I know where it is. Let's go."

Arriving at the police station, Ike watched Elena guide Marth towards his family, which consisted of Mr. Lowell, his beloved wife, and a daughter, who seemed older than Marth.

Upon seeing Marth, his entire family bombarded him with hugs and kisses, including Mr. Lowell who tightly gave his son a loving hug and repeatedly told him that he loved him, no matter what were the circumstances. Ike smiled at this, relieved that Marth and his fathers were in good hands.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Welp, here's the 8th chapter! I think this is the worst chapter so far, since it wanders away from the plot of the story. Also, I kinda picture Cornelius (Marth's dad) as one of these fathers who wanted their son to be the very best. Hopefully, I did not overemphasize Marth's relationship with his dad. I just wanted to give out Marth's background. Don't worry, the next chapters will go deeper into the story. Also, finals has started today, so Winter Break will start in less than a week. I'm trying to upload the chapters as much as possible, so don't be surprised if chapter 9 is up tomorrow. :)**

**Obnoxious Story Questions:**

**Do you Marth's runaway is necessary? **

**(Might be a spoiler) Who do think is Mr. Pherae's (Eliwood) wife? Let's the shipping wars rage! **

**What do you think happened to Roy's biological parents? **


	10. Chapter 9: The Floor

August went by quite quickly and the warm summer days merged into the neutral, somewhat-warm-and-cold days of September. On one certain Friday, other than being assigned a writing assignment that involved researching for AP Art History and doing a reflection in his Chemistry notebook, Ike had some free time to spare over the weekend. Although he was glad that he was left with little work to do, he eventually ran into a dead end. Ike had the habit of getting bored whenever he was left with nothing. What should he do over the weekend? He did not want to waste every precious minute of it! Well, there was always browsing through the internet, but Ike's mother would kick him out of the house to do something more "productive".

In Public Space and Design, the flowers for the homecoming float were nearly finished. Outside, near the wide lawn in front of the art classrooms, the class was spraying multiple colors of spray paint onto their flowers. The air smelled a bit funny, making some of the students hack and cough.

Ike's flower was a bit strange and hard to describe. It had bluish-purple pedals sprayed with silvery spray paint, making it sparkle in the light. Its pollinator was originally orange, however Ike overdid the decorating. He accidentally sprayed pale-green, sky-blue, and a spot of gold spray paint on it in effort to make it stand out from the others'.

"Hey, yours look really good!" Link commented as he sprayed a tone of bright yellow paint onto his flower's green petals. Its pollinator was a bright, eye-catching red.

"Thanks!" Ike replied. "I like yours too!"

Link nodded and smiled in thanks. He looked at Roy, who was eying the details on his flower. Much to Ike's bother, it nearly looked exactly like his, only that the pollinator was sprayed with white paint and the petals were purpler. Why couldn't he use his creativity? Did he really need to copy Ike's flower?

"Hey Roy, did you copy Ike's flower?" Link teasingly asked.

In realization, Roy's face turned into a bright shade of red as he quickly shook his head no. No, he didn't'! It just happened to look like Ike's! Link chuckled at Roy's response and went back to work.

Now that the entire class was out, Ike had a better chance to identify his classmates. He recognized Zelda, who was shaking a can of gold spray paint. Trying not to let the cactus's thorn pinch his rear, Ike quickly looked away at another direction. He spotted Fox and Falco loudly talking to each other as they decorated their flower, not fully paying attention. As Falco pressed on the nozzle of a flaming orange, a blast of stinging lava suddenly flew into his eyes, causing him to scream in pain. A few of the surrounding students gasped.

"Oh crud!" Marth exclaimed, quickly getting up and hurrying into the classroom. "Mr. Pherae!"

Ike and his classmates watched Eliwood and Fox hurriedly lead the shouting Falco to the nearest bathroom. Falco's hurtful eyes grew teary as they tried to expel the chemical out of his precious flesh.

"Wow, epic fail!" Link softly chuckled to himself. Ike nodded in agreement.

"Does anyone have gold paint?" Ike heard Zelda asked out loud. Her question was followed by a "Um, no.", a "Nope.", and a "Well, I'll check!".

Link spotted a can of gold spray paint sitting next to him. Taking this as a chance to talk to Zelda, he took and brought it to her. "I got some!"

Zelda took the spray paint and gently pressed its nozzle. Strangely, only a strong gust of freezing air emitted from it. After pressing the nozzle harder, Zelda shook it and heard an empty clinging noise, indicating that the can was empty. Link noticed the annoyed gleam in her eyes and hurried away in embarrassment.

"Did you try to impress Zelda again?" Ike asked.

"Um... Yeah." Link answered, looking down at the ground sadly. "I failed again..."

* * *

Two scientists walked down the white hallways of the research facility. One of them was a dark-toned man in his thirties with short ginger hair and hazel eyes. The other was a gray-furred wolf.

"It's been three weeks, and we still hadn't found Experiment #9!" Wolf said to his partner Ganondorf in annoyance. "Zephiel is getting really impatient! Are the spies doing their jobs?!"

"From what I heard, only a few spies were sent to Smashville. They need time to blend in their surroundings, so none of the citizens would get suspicious." Ganondorf answered. "Still, Zephiel wants the boy back in the facility as soon as possible."

"It still isn't confirmed that the boy is in Smashville. He might be somewhere else! We need someone who can travel to different cities quickly."

"Like, by flight?"

"Yes!"

"I think we have a solution to this problem. Follow me."

Ganondorf led Wolf to a small room. There, a large glass window separated them from a lonely fourteen-year-old brunette with angelic wings. He toyed with the soft fabric of his white shirt as he blankly gazed at the floor with purplish eyes.

Wolf froze for a second. "Wait, we are going to send him to search for Experiment #9!?" he asked in shock. "What if he uses this as a chance to escape?"

"Pit is firmly disciplined." Ganondorf explained. "He is strictly trained to think that following our orders is his only duty in life."

"Did Zephiel allow this?" Wolf carefully asked again.

"He does not know of this idea." Ganondorf answered. He began to exit the room. "Let's ask him about it."

Wolf followed his partner out of the room. Pit did not notice the two entering and exiting the room. He continued to stare at the floor, like if it was one humongous TV.

* * *

After decorating their flowers, Ike and his classmates began to clean up the classroom. Flowers of different colors and shapes were sitting on the tables. A few students were sweeping the floor with brooms. Owain and Lucina were carefully cleaning paint brushes. Link, Ike, Marth, and Roy were standing around their table, discussing what they were going to do over the weekend.

Red approached the four. "Hey guys, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" Marth asked.

"I'm thinking of inviting you guys to my Pokemon farm, since I have nothing better to do." Red explained. "Are you guys interested?"

"I'm coming!" Link answered with a glitter in his eyes.

"I would like to go." Marth sighed. "But I need to ask Dad first."

"Same here." Ike said.

Red nodded in understanding. "Message me on Smashbook if you can or can't come."

When Ike, Mist, and Roy finally arrived home after school, the first thing Ike did was ask Elena if he could go to Red's farm on Saturday. In doubt, Elena suggested that he should finish his homework as soon as possible. Although he disliked getting started on his work right away, Ike obeyed his mother's wishes and immediately got started on his work.

The reflections for Chemistry was incredibly easy for Ike; he just needed to draw something that included the most important parts of his notes. It was as as easy as adding. However, when he started his writing assignment for AP Art History, Ike crashed into a brick wall. The gears in his brain REFUSED to turn! He gathered as much information about the art pieces in effort to oil the stiff gears. Yet, the gears only turned a bit before coming to a complete halt. Tapping his computer mouse loudly, Ike huffed loudly in frustration. How could he finish this assignment by tonight?!

Roy sat next to Ike. He was also working on the very same writing assignment. However, instead of helplessly browsing through the Internet, he was calmly writing down a paragraph, answering the questions thoroughly. Ike raised an eyebrow in confusion. How was Roy able to answer the questions quickly?

After two hours of struggling with the questions, Ike finally managed to barely answer all of the questions. He put his assignment in his binder, flopped onto his bed, and sighed loudly. Roy plopped next to him and looked at him with his wide navy blue eyes.

"Roy, how did you managed to finish that assignment so easily?" Ike asked.

Roy only shrugged his shoulders. Taking the gesture as an "I don't know.", Ike turned on his iPhone, logged onto Smashbook, and sent a quick message to Red.

_"Red, I can go to your Pokemon farm." _he typed.

Red replied, _"Thats great!"_

_ "Can the others come?" _

_ "Well, Marth cant come because of his dad. Link is coming though."_

_ "Alright. Well, talk to you later. I need to go now."_

_ "Cya."_

After finishing his conversation with Red, Ike began to browse through his Crimean friends' posts and photos. One of them included a picture of Oscar hanging out in the park with Boyd and Rolf. The three green-haired brothers looked extremely happy. Another was Rhys being in a relationship with Mia. Soren's latest status mentioned that he was invited to a famous college, which made Ike smile. Good for him.

A feeling of loneliness began to ache in Ike's heart. The last time he saw his friends was on the last day of school. They did not have a chance to personally say their final goodbyes to him, as once when Ike got home, his parents announced to him and Mist that they were moving in a few days. In angst, Ike immediately told his friends via messaging. With a small, sad sigh, Ike began to browse through pictures of him spending time with his friends back at Crimea. Nostalgia began to flutter in his stomach.

Roy saw the pictures and gently nudged Ike on the shoulder. When Ike looked at him in confusion, Roy pointed to the pictures.

"Oh, they are my friends from Crimea." Ike began, smiling sadly. "I miss them. Over summer break, my family had to move to Smashville because it was much closer to my Dad's new job."

Roy looked down unhappily. Ike scowled at the sudden thought of his father Gawain.

_"I don't see why Dad couldn't drive an extra five miles to his new job." _Ike thought, shaking his head sadly.

* * *

**Author's Notes: "Marth can't come because of his dad". Darn it, Mr. Lowell. :/**

**Here's the boring chapter 9! In this chapter, I decided to reveal the reason why Ike and his family moved to Smashville and introduce Pit's role in the story. Hopefully, I'm not making Ike so obnoxiously whiny that it chases my readers you wonder what are the "flowers" Ike and his friends are creating, it's based on a project I did in my art class. It's kinda hard to describe. **

**Also, I don't think I mentioned this but, I'm already finished with about 4 future chapters, so I'm going to stop writing the chapters and take some suggestions. **

**Story Questions:**

**(You don't need to answer this) Any suggestions on who should appear and what should happen in the story?**

**Why do you think Roy is incredibly intelligent? **

**If you were Ike, would you greatly dislike Gawain for moving to Smashville?**

**Out of all of Ike's teachers, which one is the best in your opinion? The worst? **


	11. Chapter 10: Trigger

The next day, Red and Link were standing on the porch of Red's house. The house was tiny, compared to the looming, flaming red barn in the backyard. It was a one-story house with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. The house was a sickly pale color, as the sun faded away its true, gold color. In the distance, amount the dry, straw-colored countryside, was a tiny town known as Melee Bay. It was one of Smashville's neighboring cities.

"Look! There's Ike and Roy!" Link pointed to a silver car that parked in front of the drive way. Two of its doors swung open and out came Ike and Roy.

"Ike, give me a call when you're ready!" Elena called to him.

"Yes, Mom!" Ike replied before slamming the door shut.

As Elena drove off, Ike and Roy hurried towards Link and Red. "Hey guys!" Ike spoke with a smile. Roy smiled softly and nodded.

Red gave Ike and Roy a high-five. "I'm so glad that you guys can come!"

"So, what are we going to do now?" Link asked.

"We're going to see my Pokemon!"

Ike, Link, and Roy followed Red into his house. As soon as they stepped in, they were greeted by a woman in her late thirties with long jet black hair dressed in a humble red dress. She shared Red's warm brown eyes.

"Red, are they your friends?" she asked.

"Yes, Mom." Red began to introduce his friends. "Mom, this is Link, Ike, and Roy. Ike and Roy recently moved to Smashville."

"It's very nice to meet you." Red's mom smiled at her son's friends. "Do you three want something to eat?"

"No thanks." Ike simply replied.

Roy shook his head.

"Well, no thanks." Link answered. "I've already eaten. Thanks anyway."

"Enjoy your day here." Red's mom softly said as she watched Red and his friends enter the backyard.

Ike's footsteps softly crushed the dry grass as he followed his friends to the towering, red barn. Its bright, flamboyant color indicated that it was recently coated with paint. The air was humid and warm, making Ike perspire. Sweat began to soak in his indigo hair. Heat began to embrace his body, refusing to let go.

When they approached the barn's entrance, an abrupt growl coming from the inside the barn caused Roy to yelp in surprise, dash behind Ike, and clutch Ike's waist tightly for protection. Link jumped as his ears twitched. What was that?! Ike's face went pale for a second. Did it come from the barn?! Unlike his friends, Red kept his cool.

"Don't worry, it's just Charizard." he calmly reassured as he unlocked and opened the door. "He's actually excited that we have visitors!"

Ike gently stroked the shaking Roy's cardinal hair as he tried to comfort him. "Don't worry, Roy. Everything's alright. I was scared too."

As soon as the barn's doors flew open, Charizard leapt out of nowhere and lunged onto Red, knocking him down. Despite being abruptly tackled by a monstrous fire Pokemon, Red began to laugh as Charizard happily nuzzled his head with a gentle snarl. Ike and the others could only watch with an awkward facial expression. Whoa, Charizard was HUGE compared to Red! Red could mount him and take off to the skies! Why was he so friendly?

"I know, Charizard." Red happily whispered to Charizard as the fire Pokemon got off, allowing his owner to get up. "You're happy that we have visitors! Now, be gentle!"

Charizard turned and looked at his owner's friends, identifying their physical appearance. Red's cardinal hair caught his fierce light blue eyes. As Charizard sharply gazed into Roy's navy blue eyes, Roy froze in fright. He was a deer caught in a pair of headlights. Oh no... What was he going to do? Did he want to eat him or something?

Red caught Roy's alarmed expression. "Don't be scared! I think Charizard likes your hair, Roy!"

Ike and Link smirked at Red's remark. However, they instantly stopped when Charizard slowly went towards Roy, careful not to scare him. Once when he was a step away from the redhead, Charizard gently nuzzled his cardinal hair. His cheeks flushing pink, Roy giggled loudly. Ike, Link, and Red looked at each other. That was the first time they heard Roy laugh.

"Charizard's really friendly." Ike commented.

"Yeah, he is!" Link agreed. "Why is he so nice?"

"He's been raised by humans ever since he was rescued as a Charmander." Red answered.

"Let's see your other Pokemon!" Link exclaimed.

Along with Red, Ike, and Link, Roy stopped playing with Charizard and quickly trailed his friends. Charizard did not seem too upset at the act. He simply followed his owner and his friends.

As soon when Ike entered the barn, the boiling air that refused to let go of him suddenly fled away from him. It dreaded the cool air lingering in the barn. A beam of white sunlight shimmered from the open window.

A Pikachu was playing in the haystack with a Pichu. Sitting in a baby pool filled with cold water was a Squirtle. He was spraying water onto a nearby Ivysaur, who seemed to enjoy it. A meditating Lucario was peacefully sitting at a corner of the barn. A Jigglypuff was sneaking on oran berries.

Pikachu noticed Red enter the barn with his friends. Exclaiming a "Pikaaaa!", he excitedly scurried towards him and leapt into his arms.

"Hi there, Pikachu!" Red said to the mouse Pokemon, cuddling him. "We have some visitors!"

With a shy blush, Pichu timidly approached Red's friends. Roy kneeled down and held out both of his hands. This made Pichu overcome her shyness and quickly jump into the redhead's hands.

Link noticed Squirtle playing with Ivysaur. Wanting to join the two Pokemon, he approached them. Squirtle took notice of the Hylian and mischievously squirted water at his face. As Link wiped his face with the sleeve of his green jacket, Ivysaur giggled along with Squirtle.

"Your Pokemon is neat!" Ike said to Red as he petted Charizard on the head.

"Thanks!" Red replied with a smile, gently setting Pikachu on the ground. Pikachu happily leapt into Ike's arms and looked at him with endearing, innocent eyes.

As Ike softly petted Pikachu on the head, he suddenly thought of something. "Hey Red, is your Dad here? I didn't see him."

"No, he isn't." Red answered. He shrugged his shoulders with a sad sigh. "He's working in Goldenrod City. I'm kinda worried about him."

"I know." Ike replied, watching Link sprinkle water onto Ivysaur, who nuzzled his hand. "He's working to support the farm, isn't he?"

"Yep." Red said. "Sometimes, he doesn't even come home for dinner! We would move out of Smashville to Goldenrod City for convenience if it weren't for the Pokemon!"

"I see." Ike spoke, nodding his head in understanding. "If you moved to Goldenrod City, then you needed to give the Pokemon away."

"Yeah." Red replied. "I can't picture giving my beloved friends to some stranger!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Ganondorf and Wolf entered the room where Pit was held. The two henchmen had just presented their idea to Zephiel, who immediately allowed it. The strict leader of the facility approved the idea of having the winged boy search for Experiment #9.

Ever since he became aware of his surroundings and responded to stimuli, Pit was strictly disciplined by members of the research institute. It got to the point when Pit believed that the only reason he was alive was he was born to take orders from superiors. Due to his belief, Pit never disobeyed orders.

Ganondorf turned on an intercom. "Pit, may we have your attention?"

Pit's wings perked up as he excitedly looked at his superiors. Yes! He finally got something to do!

"Y-Yes! I'm paying attention!" he happily answered.

"We have an important mission for you." Ganondorf explained. "Your mission is to find someone."

"Who is it?" Pit curiously asked.

Ganondorf held a picture of a cardinal-haired male with navy blue eyes against the window. Pit hurried closer to the window to take a better look.

"Is that who I'm looking for?" Pit innocently asked.

"Yes." Ganondorf answered.

"Why?"

"It is because he is associated with us. We can't give you details."

"I understand. Where do I look for him?"

"We'll show you soon. Right now, we need to make preparations."

Ganondorf gave a nod of approval to Wolf, who unlocked and opened the door to Pit's cell. Instead of taking this rare moment as a chance to flee, Pit simply stepped out and went to Wolf's side, waiting for an order.

"Follow us." Wolf said.

Pit followed the henchmen to a small medical room. Its walls were completely white along with the flat ceiling lights. It had a few cabinets and a small bed.

As Wolf browsed through the cabinets and took four syringes, Ganondorf asked Pit to sit on the bed. Pit obeyed obediently not aware what was going to happen.

"Now Pit, look at the walls." Ganondorf calmly commanded.

Pit did what he was told. As he gazed at the boring walls, he felt two pinches on each of his arms. Wolf was injecting vaccines into the youth's body. It would be terrible if Pit needed to return to the facility if he got horribly sick!

After Wolf was finished with the shots, Pit wearily said, "I feel really sleepy..."

"You're supposed to feel sleepy." Ganondorf replied. Due to not being exposed to any bacteria, whether good or bad, Pit had a weak immune system.

"I can't." Pit responded, lying down on the bed. "I need to look for the boy..."

"Not now." Wolf said as he pulled the covers over the drowsy teen. "For now, just sleep."

Pit slightly nodded before his consciousness entered a pitch-black, silent world.

"When are we going to release him?" Wolf asked Ganondorf as they left the room.

Ganondorf locked the door with a tiny key before replying. "We'll release him in a few days, unless if he feels ill."

* * *

After spending an hour with Red's Pokemon and thirty minutes snacking on junk food and drinking lemonade in the backyard, Link, Ike, and Roy left and went back to their homes.

While Elena drove, Ike gazed at the wide, endless countryside and began to daydream. Roy fell asleep. So, Red's dad was currently working hard at Goldenrod City. Sometimes, he could not make it back in time for dinner. If it weren't for the Pokemon, then Red and his family would move to Goldenrod City, so it would be more convenient for his dad.

But, it meant that Red needed to give his Pokemon away! Moving would only benefit his dad. The thought of Red's father pulled the trigger on the gun and made a dashing bullet of anger thoughts strike Ike's thoughts. Suddenly feeling fury boil through his head at the thought of his own father, Ike tightly clutched his fists and looked down at his sneakers.

So, the only reason he and his family moved to Smashville was only for Gawain's benefit?! Ike remembered when he protested against moving to Smashville. As a punishment, he had his phone taken away, followed by his mother's harshly saying, "Ike, don't be selfish."

_"I'm not selfish." _Ike thought to himself crossly. _"Dad is!" _

Roy, who suddenly awakened, noticed Ike's furious expression. With a worried look, he gave him a small nudge on the shoulder.

Ike quickly snapped out of his thoughts! "Er, sorry Roy! I was just thinking about something!"

With an understanding nod, Roy gently laid his head on Ike's shoulder and drifted to sleep. Ike's lips slightly curved into a smile before it fell into a frown that matched with his glower.

Upon returning home, Ike noticed a certain dark blue vehicle parked in the driveway. He softly growled to himself; it looked like the old man managed to come early from work. Ike quickly covered his angry glare with his mask of calmness as he gently shook Roy awake. Roy softly rubbed his eyes and yawned as Elena got out of the car.

"Well, your father came home earlier than usual." she said as both of her sons exited the car.

Ike forced a smile. "Y-Yeah, that's good." he said, actually feeling nonchalant of his father. He did not want to express his grudge towards his father.

As Ike entered the house, into the kitchen, he spotted Gawain sitting at a table, reading the newspaper. He stood there for a few moments, before taking a can of lemon-lime soda from the refrigerator. Gawain was deeply interested in the news; he did not notice his own son entering the kitchen. However, Ike did not care whether his father noticed him or not. Ever since they moved to Smashville, he despised Gawain with every inch of his heart.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Dashing through the NO...**

**Here's a quick update. Surprised? Well, I'm officially on Winter Break! Expect some quick updates! **

**Like the last chapter, nothing exciting really happened. It just gave an insight to Red and Ike's relationship with his dad. I promise that the future chapters will be more exciting than this! **

**Story Questions: **

**Out of all of Red's Pokemon, which one is your favorite? **

**(You don't need to answer this) Which character would you like to see in future chapters?**


	12. Chapter 11: Relationships Galore

Homecoming was slowly drawing near by every second. All of the students in Ninterty were excited. The parade was on Friday!

In Public Space and Design, everyone's flowers were finally complete. Each of the flowers was an individual's fingerprint. There each had their own unique petals, colors, and patterns. Even Roy's, which looked like Ike's earlier, looked completely different from all of the flowers in color. After gathering his courage to step out of his comfort zone, Roy sprayed his flower with navy blue, sky blue, and gold spray paint. This action made Ike a bit happy inside, since it was a sign that Roy was using his creativity instead of copying other's.

Now that all of the flowers were completed, they were ready to be put on the Art Academy's homecoming float. On Thursday, before class ended, Eliwood asked for any volunteers who would like to help put the flowers on the float for extra credit after class. Some students volunteered for the job. Ike, Link, and Roy decided to help because, they had nothing better to do after school. Marth, who missed a day due to a cold, decided to make it up with extra credit. Owain and Lucina, who bombed their flowers with unappealing color schemes and cringeworthy designs, decided that they needed the extra credit in case Eliwood graded them down due to their awkward creativity. A boy known as Ingio wanted to help not because he wanted to improve his grade but, he wanted to impress the girls in his class, much to Brady's, one of his friends, annoyance. Unbeknownst other friends, Caeda took this as a chance to spend time with her crush Marth.

Although she had the highest grade in the class, Zelda still volunteered. This somewhat irked Ike. Seriously, she already has an A+ in that class! She was passing! Why did she need credit? Ike bit his lip at the thought as Zelda passed by behind him. Roy, who also felt uncomfortable at the sight of the brunette Hylian, looked down at the flat table.

"You also have that same feeling?" Ike whispered to Roy.

Roy nodded his head and sighed.

Ike quickly texted a quick message on his phone to Mist, saying he was going to help set up the float after class. After sending the message, he put the phone back into his backpack and glanced at the table where Zelda and her friends were chatting loudly. Ike glowered for a second as he overheard their gossip. Their conversation made NO sense whatsoever! He heard Rosalina mention something about... A girl named Daisy to Peach. Zelda mentioned something about... Makeup? What are they clearly talking about? Ike noticed Caeda staring at Marth, her prince charming. Marth seemed to not notice.

Yet, one of the girls was completely left out of the conversation. She had blond hair tied in a ponytail and electric blue eyes. She wore tight-fitting jeans, a sky blue shirt underneath her matching jean jacket, and sky blue sneakers. The blonde sighed sadly to herself and looked at the ground in boredom.

Ike worriedly looked at the quiet blonde. Ever since the first day of school, he noticed that she hardly had any friends. She hardly participated in class and socialized with her peers. She was like a shadow; she existed, yet she did not do much and people hardly took notice of her.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ike asked the blonde with concern.

The blonde looked up at him. Blue eyes made contact with each other like magnets. "Y-Yeah, why did you ask?"

"Well, ever since I first saw you in Chemistry and Public Space and Design, you look really lonely." Ike explained. "Don't you have any friends?"

"Not really. I'm not the social type, I guess."

"So, what's your name?"

"Samus. Your name must be Ike."

"Yeah! So, are you staying after school to help set up the float?"

"Yeah. I think I did a crappy job on my flower." Samus pointed to a flower messily sprayed with orange, red, and yellow paint. "That's definitely going to drop my grade."

"It isn't that bad." Ike said, trying to bond with Samus.

"Really?" Samus asked with slight awe in her voice. "Well, thanks!" She smiled slightly.

The bell rang. Most of the students got out of their seats and hurried out of the classroom. The ones who stayed behind were the ones who were going to help out with the float. They were patiently waiting Eliwood to give out instructions.

"Alright, listen up!" Eliwood began. "We're going to take all of the flowers and put them in this cart." The cardinal-haired teacher pointed to a cart sitting outside of the classroom. "Then, we are going to the parking lot next to the football field. Everyone got it?"

Eliwood's question was answered by nods and a few "Yes."

"Let's get started!" Eliwood responded.

The class took the flowers sitting on their tables, carefully set them in the cart, and exited the classroom. As they walked down the hallway, they began to talk to each other nosily. Eliwood was behind them, pushing the cart. Owain and Lucina were by his side, in case his leg decided to disobediently act up again.

"So, you're a junior?" Ike asked Samus as they walked to the football field.

"Yes." Samus answered. She eyed Roy, who was walking in between them. "What about Roy?"

"He's technically a junior." Ike said, feeling that he slightly lied. He did not want to give away his backstory.

"I see him hang around you a lot." Samus commented.

"Yeah, he's my adopted brother." Ike replied.

"Adopted?" Samus softly gasped. "What happened to his parents?"

Ike quickly thought of a reply. "To be honest, Roy doesn't like talking about his parents."

Roy did not hear what Ike whispered into Samus's eyes. Curious, he looked at Ike with endearing eyes,

"I understand." Samus quietly replied.

At that moment, Ingio was plotting a plan to attract some girls when Link approached him.

"Ingio, can I ask you something?" Link asked.

"Yes, what is it?" Ingio replied with a charming smile.

"Ok, I see that you're popular with the girls." Link began to explain. "Well, what I'm asking you is, how do you charm some girls? I'm been trying to get this girl's attention but, it isn't working!"

"First, you need to act like a gentleman." Ingio explained. "Gentlemen help ladies in dire need."

"I tried doing that." Link responded. "But, she still acts like if I'm a nobody!"

"Let me ask you this: who are you trying to attract?"

"Zelda!"

Ingio shook his head sadly and signed. "Whoa... I'm just going to say that she's really hard to get!"

"Really?" Link's ears drooped slightly in despair.

"Yeah, I tried to talk to her into going on a date with me once but, she turned me down!"

"Awww man..." Was Link's reply.

Marth, who was walking in front of Link and Ingio, noticed Caeda walking beside her friends, looking lonely. With a mischievous smile, he sneakily snuck behind her like a ninja. Caeda did not take notice of her crush creeping up to her.

"Hey Caeda..." Marth whispered into her ear. He giggled.

Caeda yelped in surprised and jolted, causing some of her peers to stare. "Waaah?! Marth! Don't do that again!"

Marth's smile fell into a concerned look. "Are you ok? You look sad..."

"I just feel lonely, that's all. Everything's ok." Caeda answered.

"That's not ok!" Marth replied with a stern look. "But, I know something that could make everything better! It's called smiling! C'mon, smile!"

Caeda forced an uneasy smile. Marth only frowned at the effort.

"No, no, no! Not like this!" Marth took the corners of his mouth with his fingers and pulled them into a funny, comical grin. "Lwike dis!" he said, his speech somewhat garbled.

Laughter erupted from Caeda. "Oh my gosh, Marth! Your face!"

Marth smiled sweetly in response.

The entire class finally reached the parking lot. It was in between the football field and the street. Across the street was a post office. The football field was a bit old, compared to Crimea High's. Behind the football field were houses. Students passed by the parking lot, giving Ike and his classmates a quick glance.

Once when Eliwood arrived with the flowers, his students began to take them and attach them onto the float with strong wires. Since Ike was the tallest in the class, he set what was considered to be the prettiest flowers at the top of the float for everyone to see. Roy simply took the flowers out of the cart and set them onto the float's platform. Owain and Lucina took their flowers and wired them to the bottom of the float. They did not want the crowd to see their flowers! The other students attached their flowers onto the float. They were hideous! Marth helped Samus hang up a banner.

Link, who was putting fake grass onto the float, noticed Zelda struggling to wire her flower onto the float. She was a bit paranoid that her flower might fall of the float due to the seemingly weak wire.

"Hey Zelda, I can help you." Link offered.

"No, I got this." Zelda replied, forcing a quick smile. "Thanks anyway."

Shrugging his shoulder, Link set the last fake grass onto the float, went to Ike's side, and sighed sadly. Ike heard his Hylian friend's depressed sigh.

"Link, what's wrong?" Ike asked worriedly.

"Er, nothing." Link answered, smiling unhappily. "It's just that, I can't get Zelda to talk to me."

"I don't know what to say." Ike could only reply. "Maybe she is not into you."

"I guess you're right." Link finally admitted.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Friendzone much?**

**Welp, here's chapter 11. Like one of my reviewers said, exciting, epic things don't really happen in school, so I wouldn't be surprised if everyone's reading this in their sleep! Trust me, the next chapters will get the story rolling! Chapter 12 will feature the homecoming parade and... something else. (I can't tell you guys, it'll be a spoiler!) **

**Also, I opened a poll asking (Oh boy, this is going to be worded really awkward) which game franchise should I start writing fanfics about. Just a heads up, I have a few descent ideas for Fire Emblem.  
**

**Story Questions:**

**Had you ever tried to make someone like you, only to get ignored/friendzoned? **

**What was your poll choice? **


	13. Chapter 12: Blurred Colors

The next day, the entire school was bustling with excitement over the homecoming parade. Nearly all of the students were dressed in cardinal red and gold, the school's colors. Ike wore a red jacket over a white shirt and tied a bright yellow headband over his head, while Roy wore a red shirt and a red headband with gold trimmings. Link wore a red sweater instead of his usual green one and a matching red floppy cap. Because his hair clashed with his red and gold outfit, Marth sprayed his azure hair red. However, the hair dye made his hair purple, much to the bluenette's anguish. Red simply wore... Well, red.

After lunch, Link, Ike, and Roy hurried to their Algebra 2 class. The boys were nervous; last class, they took a tedious, difficult test. It was as hard as picking up a single grain of sand with boxing gloves. Most of the class took an entire hour to complete it, with only ten minutes left to spare, their brains painfully splitting.

"I hope I didn't get a bad grade on that test!" Ike said to Link as they sat down in their seats.

"Yeah!" Link replied. "From what I heard from Marth, most of his classmates did not do a good job. Marth passed with a C-! And you know how smart he is, right?"

Ike nodded in response, suddenly having a nervous feeling tingle in his stomach. He felt like throwing up when he heard Mrs. Miriel say, "Class, I'm going to pass out your tests. The majority of the class did not do so well. However, the highest score was an A-."

_"I think I know who got an A-." _Ike scowled to himself.

_ "Yep. Zelda definitely got the highest score." _Link thought to himself, blushing at the thought.

After a few tense seconds, Ike, Link, and Roy finally got their results back. Ike sighed in relief. He barely passed with a C+. Link got a B-.

"That's good to know that both of us passed!" Link said cheerfully.

"Yeah!" Ike answered. "My mom told me that if I got a grade lower than a C, she's not going to allow me to ride on the homecoming float!"

All of a sudden, a sudden thud came from the back of the classroom. A few students gasped and rose out of their seats in shock. At first, both Ike, Roy, and Link stayed in their seat and kept their cool. The three thought a thick-covered book fell onto the floor.

"Oh my gosh, Zelda fainted!" Peach, a blond girl wearing a red dress exclaimed.

Mrs. Miriel immediately called the campus supervisors. "Hello? Yes? This is Mrs. Miriel. Someone has just fainted in my class..."

Link quickly got out of his seat and rushed to Zelda's side. "H-Hey, Zelda! Are you alright?"

Zelda stirred a bit as she woke up. "I... I think so."

"What happened? Did you eat any lunch?"

"Yes..." Zelda softly answered.

"When did you go to sleep?"

"Around eleven-thirty."

"That's late!" Link softly cried out. "What were you doing?"

"Studying."

Zelda suddenly felt woozy. Immediately taking notice, Link gently held her in his arms. "Stay calm. I got you!" he quietly said.

"Link, I feel so frustrated." Zelda weakly whispered.

"Why?"

"I studied all night long for the test. A-And... I got a B plus... I thought I was going to do better..."

Link sympathetically hugged Zelda. "Don't worry. You did well."

The entire class turned when the campus supervisors entered the class room. Link carefully walked Zelda out of the classroom with them. Although he did not have the sensitive, sharp, pointy ears of a Hylian, Ike managed to overhear the entire conversation. For the first time, he felt sorry for Zelda. Maybe her parents pressured her to do well in school! That was a terrible way to get good grades!

Wait, if Zelda didn't get the highest score in the class, who did? Ike looked at Roy, who sat in front of him. He softly clutched his test, blushing shyly. On the top left corner of the test, was an A minus.

"Dang, Roy." Ike quietly whispered to Roy, giving him a small high-five. "You did pretty good."

* * *

After school, Ike, Roy, Marth, Owain, Lucina, and Samus were gathered at the back corner of Ninterty. The six were sitting on the Art Academy's float, waiting for their fellow classmates and Eliwood. While they were waiting, they watched their fellow schoolmates setting up the float and boarding them. Each of the floats were attached to a vehicle. Some of the floats were unique. One of them included people seated at a table, having dinner. Another had a person inside a canon.

"Where's Mr. Pherae?" Lucina asked impatiently as she watched drivers getting into their cars and starting the engine, preparing to go.

"I don't know." Ike answered, keeping a lookout for the redheaded teacher.

"Does anyone have his number?" Samus asked. The blonde's answer was replied with "No.", "Sorry, I don't.", and "Nope."

"Do you have his number, Dad?" Lucina asked the driver of the truck that was attached to the float.

Chrom, who had the day off from work, shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I don't. Well, the parade is going to start in five minutes, so I guess we have to go without him."

The six members of the art academy sighed loudly in frustration. Darn it! Where was Mr. Pherae? At that moment, Link and Zelda hurried towards the float.

"Link! Zelda!" Marth exclaimed in joy. "You're here!"

"Yep!" Link replied with a smile as he and Zelda climbed onto the float. "We don't want to miss out!"

A bit concerned, Ike made eye contact with Zelda and asked, "Zelda, are you going to be alright? I mean, you fainted in class today. So, wouldn't it be better if you stayed home and rest?"

"I should be ok." Zelda answered. "Thank you."

Ike smiled back at the brunette Hylian. He suddenly felt a bit more comfortable around Zelda. Maybe it was because he was finally beginning to befriend her!

Five minutes passed and there was no sign of Eliwood. Most of the students nervously twitched their fingers and looked around anxiously. Seriously, where was he? He mentioned that he will meet them here, fifteen minutes before the parade starts! What happened?

"Well, it looks like we have to go without Mr. Pherae." Chrom spoke up, starting the car. "We can't wait any longer!"

"Ok..." Ike sighed.

The members of the art academy heard the distant school band playing their catchy tune. Roy looked up and saw some of the floats slowly diving down the street. Some of the students began to cheer wildly. The redhead's navy blue eyes spotted crowds of people gathering around on the sidewalk, watching the floats and cheering for their school.

The eight members of the art academy began to cheer enthusiastically and wave at the crowd. (Expect for Roy. He cowered behind Ike, Link, and Samus and blushed.) As float drifted down the street, they spotted Eliwood standing with Hector, Lyn, one of the art teachers who announced news to Ike's art class, and an ice-blue haired lady with ruby-red eyes. She was garbed in a simple sky-blue dress and had a silver hairband.

"What the— Mr. Pherae! You said that you'll meet us before the parade starts!" Owain shouted at the redheaded teacher, having a comical angry expression.

"Yeah!" Marth added with a childish pout.

Eliwood grinned slyly at his students. "I said 'I may meet you at the float'!"

"WHAT!?" Owain screamed, his face turning red. "Fine!" He looked away and huffed, causing the four teachers to giggle.

"Oh, Eliwood." Ninian sighed, smiling sweetly.

Eliwood smiled back and gave Ninian a quick, light kiss on her lips.

Roy, who was curiously looking around his noisy surroundings, suddenly made eye contact with Ninian, who was admiring the flowers on the float. An abrupt, familiar, spiritual feeling struck Roy, causing him to flinch. He felt a chill shoot down his spine. It was that feeling again! The same feeling when he made eye contact with Mr. Pherae! Again, he did not remember seeing the lady in the past! But, why did he feel that he had a connection with her?! Roy slightly shivered at the thought.

The parade ended at the parking lot next to the football field. Once when the float came to a complete halt, everyone began to take off its decorations.

"Great job everyone!" Chrom said. "Let's take off the flowers and set it into the cart!" He pointed to a cart sitting next to a trash bin.

"That was exciting!" Link said to his friends as he carefully set a flower into a cart.

"Yeah!" Ike agreed. "I can't wait to tell everyone!" As Ike got off the float with one of the flowers, he noticed Roy staring into space, lost in his thoughts. "Hey Roy, what's wrong?"

Roy blinked and shook his head quickly.

"Are you just dazed from the screaming crowd?"

Roy nodded with a smile and blush.

"That's understandable! Why don't you help us with removing the decorations?"

With a "Hmmm!" Roy began to remove the wires from his flower.

* * *

_Footsteps. Panting. These two sounds echoed down the long, empty hallway. The images were blurry and hazy, yet they were recognizable. Running right next to him, was a blur of cardinal red, a pinch of navy blue on flesh colors, and purple over dark blue._

_ "Eliwood!" a familiar voice shouted in panic. "We can't let them get away!"_

_ That voice... Father?_

_ Eliwood nodded and along with the blur of colors, caused after a dark, shadowy figure that was always ahead of them, no matter how hard and fast he ran._

_ All of a sudden, there was a bang. The blur of red, blue, purple, and dark blue spilled over the pure, white floor like water. Eliwood froze and gazed at the puddle of colors in horror. He quickly gazed at the shadow, which mysteriously paused. There was another bang, Eliwood felt a familiar sharp pain in his right leg and..._

"A-Ahhh!" Eliwood exclaimed as he jolted awake, raising from his bed in shock. He anxiously looked around the shadowy bedroom as he panted, sweat streaming down his forehead. His fingers clutched the covers tightly as his hands trembled uncontrollably.

"That... That was just a dream..." he sighed quietly in relief.

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Eliwood? Are you ok?" Ninian worriedly asked.

"I'm ok." Eliwood answered. 'It was just a nightmare."

"What was it about?" Ninian asked again.

Eliwood thought for a moment. The dream was hazy yet familiar... Wait, maybe it was... A fragment of his memory!

"Ninian, I dreamt about how my father truly died." Eliwood sternly said.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Uh... Another cliffhanger? /gets slapped in face**

**Well, it looks like Link managed to crawl out of the "you're-just-a-guy-in-classzoned" in this chapter. I decided to provide some background to Zelda. When it comes to high school fics, I picture her as one of these students who always study to get good grades. Also, I revealed Eliwood's wife in this chapter, so hopefully it won't cause a crapstorm like it did with Chrom and his wife in Blue Pawn. Speaking of Chrom's wife, I'm not going to mention who she is just to prevent outbreaks of rage in the reviews. **

**As for the poll, Fire Emblem is in the lead with Legend of Zelda as the runner up. Please vote if you hadn't already! **

**Obnoxious Story Questions: **

**Why do you think Link cares about Zelda a lot, even though she ignored him? **

**Who do you think the shadowy figure in Eliwood's dream is?**

**(Very obvious question. I can't think of a good 3rd question.) Do you think Eliwood and Ninian are truly Roy's parents? **


	14. Chapter 13: Marred Bonds

As the final days of September ended, the cool climate of October slowly settled in Smashville. The trees' bright green leaves slowly turned into a fiery red, orange, and yellow. Although the citizens did not quite notice yet, the days were gradually getting shorter. The breeze infamously piled leaves all over the sidewalks and streets, giving the yard workers a difficult, tiring job.

To Ike, the beginning of autumn was simply the beginning of Ninterty's two-week fall break. Strangely, the school district in Smashville had a different schedule from the other districts. Ike didn't care much. While his friends in Crimea were suffering in their tedious classes, Ike was on break! Not only that, his birthday was on the seventeenth after break.

Mist nearly saw the same things with autumn however, her views were a bit different. Not only was she excited about break and Ike's birthday, she could not wait for Halloween! However, it was on the thirty-first, which was two weeks after break ended. Oh well. She _actually _could wait.

To be honest with himself, Roy did not know what to expect in autumn. Due to being isolated and locked away for pretty much his entire life, he did not quite know what was going to happen.

Although Ike saw the joys of fall break, he was unable to go out and do something special due to Gawain's work, much to his chagrin. Just because Ike, Roy, and Mist had two weeks off from school did not mean Gawain also had two weeks off from work! This fact greatly irked Ike. What was the point of a break if he could not do anything special?

Even though Gawain had Sundays off, Elena always convinced Ike and Mist that he needed the day off. She mentioned that driving was very tiring. Before, Ike understood. However, Ike rashly theorized that his father was selfishly doing this for his own good. Hey! His entire family moved from Crimea just for him!

It was an ordinary Sunday day. After stubbing his toe on a door, tripping over a table leg, and burning his tongue on boiling hot soup, Ike was not in the mood for fun. Feeling grumpy and moody, he lied on his bed and browsed the Internet on his phone with a glower. Roy cuddled next to him, not aware that the bluenette was grouchy.

Now, grouchy teenagers tend to act depressed and think negatively. They would often think about the things they greatly resented and act rudely towards others, even though they did not truly mean it. They could not quite help it. It was a part of growing up, as teenagers often had their hormones rise like a balloon filled with helium and drop like a Geodude in water. While some teens easily handled these moody, erratic feelings, others could not hide them, which included Ike.

The grudge against his father pulled against its binds in a cage hidden in Ike's heart. He felt twice as angry at Gawain. Hey, during break back at Crimea, Ike could simply meet up with his friends with no issues! Now, he was bored with nothing to do! He could spend time with Link, Marth, and the others. However, Link was visiting some relatives in Hyrule, Marth was grounded for a week for getting into an argument with Mr. Lowell, and Lucina, Owain, and Red were busy with their own things. (They did not tell their friends what they were doing.) This was like pouring salt into a wound for Ike. He was helplessly stuck at home with nothing to do!

Gawain, who seemed to be a workaholic that did not care about anything else, noticed Ike's behavior. On that day, Ike grumbled and refused to talk to Mist, Roy, and Elena. After breakfast, he sulked in his room. Like most fathers, Gawain deeply cared about his family and became concerned whenever he sensed something was wrong. It was normal for Ike to not talk to him, which was (somewhat) fine but, not talking to the rest of the family?! Something must be wrong!

"Ike, can I talk to you?" Gawain asked as he entered Ike's room.

Ike growled angrily to himself as he heard his father's voice. "Go away." he grumbled.

Gawain sat down on Ike's bed right next to him and gently put his hand on Ike's indigo hair. "Ike, what's wrong?"

Groaning loudly, Ike pushed Gawain's hand away. "Go away."

"I won't." Gawain replied sternly. "I know that something is bothering you."

"Fine..." Ike sighed loudly. Roy stood up and watched the scene play out.

"What's bothering you?" Garwain asked, unaware that he had just pulled the trigger of anger in Ike.

Ike could not hold his anger anymore. Without warning, his rage exploded out of its cage. "You are!" he yelled furiously. "Thanks to you, I have nothing to do during break! We can't go out due to your stupid job! This is the worse break ever!"

Gawain was stunned by his son's sudden outburst. "Ike, why don't you spend time with your friends?" he asked, hoping that Ike would calm down.

"They have their own things to do!" Ike shouted back. He violently punched his pillow, which startled Roy and caused him to scurry into the closet in fright. "This is your fault!"

"It's not my fault that your friends have their things to do!" Gawain retorted, his voice rising.

"Yes it is!"

As father and son viciously argued back and forth, Roy could only helplessly cower in the closet and watch. Tears began to fill his wide eyes. No... He wanted to do something about this battle but, he did not want to get caught between the fight!

"What can I do to make you feel better?!" Gawain yelled at Ike.

"I don't know!" Ike carelessly scoffed. "Move back to Crimea? That'll definitely make me feel better!"

"We can't!" Gawain protested.

"Why? Is it because you're going to lose your stupid job or something?"

"Ike, my job is important! Without it, how am I supposed to support the family?!"

"I don't know and I don't care!"

Unbeknownst to the two, Mist and Elena were watching the fight.

"Stop it!" Elena exclaimed, causing the two males to stop bickering. She glowered harshly at Ike, causing him to flinch for a split second. "Ike, I heard everything you said. Stop it. You're being selfish."

Knowing that the odds were against him, Ike just turned around, faced the wall, and sighed. He rolled his eyes at Elena's statement. That sentence again...

"Ike, talk to me when you realize your mistakes." Ike heard Gawain sternly say before he left his room with Elena. Mist quickly throttled away, feeling a bit scared. Roy, who was still hiding in Ike's closet, shivered a bit. He was still a bit shaken up.

* * *

That night, Gawain was seated in the living room, reading the newspaper. Mist was asleep, Elena was doing the laundry, and Ike... Well, after their humongous argument, he continued to sulk in his room, only coming out for dinner. He had no idea what was he doing at the moment.

Soft footsteps caught Gawain's attention, causing him to look up from his newspaper for once. He spotted Roy standing directly in front of him, looking timidly at him with large navy blue eyes.

"Hey, Roy." Gawain greeted.

Roy smiled shyly, climbed onto the sofa, sat next to Gawain, and rested his head on the older male's shoulder. Gawain smiled slightly at the redhead's affection before turning to his newspaper and flipping the page.

As Roy watched the paper slowly flip, Gawain spoke to him. "I'm kinda worried about my relationship with Ike. Recently, we hadn't been talking to each other a lot. And when we do, the conversations are short and difficult."

Roy nodded in understanding and yawned; he was slowly falling asleep. Gawain smiled and gave the redhead a small pat on the head as his adopted son drifted to sleep.

_"Roy just reminded me of Ike when he was three." _he thought to himself. 

* * *

"So, what did you do over the break?" Marth asked Ike after their break on Tuesday.

Ike sighed sadly at Marth's question. "Nothing really. My Dad needed to go to work, so we didn't do anything."

Marth only shrugged his shoulder with a sweet smile. "It's alright! I didn't do anything either! Dad grounded me!" The bluenette looked at the clear sky before asking, "I can't wait for Halloween! What about you?"

"I can't wait either." Ike smiled. "But, you know what I can't wait?"

"What is it?" Marth asked curiously.

"My birthday."

Marth exclaimed loudly in joy. "Your birthday?! When is it?! When is it?!"

Link, Roy, and Red, who were nearby, overheard the conversation.

"It's in two days." Ike answered with a smile.

"That's awesome!" Link said. He gave Ike a high-five. "What are you going to get?"

"I just want a 3DS with a few games." Ike said. "I think my Dad is going to buy it for me— If he's in the mood." Ike scowled at the thought.

"What do you mean?" Marth asked.

"Let's say we hadn't been on good terms lately." Ike shook his head with a groan. "I won't be too surprised if he didn't give me anything."

Roy nodded coyly in understanding.

"Hey, you should appreciate the fact that he's there for your birthday instead." Red spoke as he looked up from his 3DS. "Spending time with your family is the best part of birthdays. Then again, I hardly see Dad, so... Your views might be different."

Ike shot Red a quick glare as Red continued to play on his 3DS before instantly covering with a slight smile. _"Says the person with a 3DS." _he thought.

Ever since it was released in the stores, dearly wanted a 3DS. He badly wanted to play its exciting, addicting games. Also, it was part of the current trend. Most of Ike's friends already had a 3DS. Ike did not want to be left out like a black sheep. Being left out was one of the worst feelings in the world a teenager could experience.

When Ike heard of the 3DS's release, he immediately asked his parents if he could have one. To his bother, their answer was he could have it for his birthday. That was several months ago. If he did not get it this year, Ike had to wait another three-hundred-and-sixty-five days. He could not wait for that long!

For the next two days, Ike impatiently sat in his seated and glanced anxiously at the clock, waiting for the class to end. Yes, he had classwork to occupy him however, most of them did not take long to finish. Most of Ike's friends noticed his anxiety.

"Hey are you ok?" Link asked Ike during Algebra 2 on Thursday.

"Yeah." Ike nervously answered. "It's just that today's my birthday and I can't wait to get out of school."

"Understandable." Link replied with a smile.

Finally, Japanese 3, the tedious death chamber led by Mr. Lowell, came to an end with the ring of the bell of freedom. Ike was glad he managed to endure his class. He did not want a strict tyrant's scolding to run his birthday.

"Hey Ike, have a great birthday!" Owain called after Ike as he left the classroom with Lilina and Wolt.

"Thanks!" Ike replied as he packed his stuff. After putting on his backpack, he said to Roy, "C'mon Roy! Let's go!"

Roy nodded with a smile and the two hurried towards the front of the school.

* * *

Nightfall quickly came. Ike diligently finished all of his homework, so he would not have to fret over them. Together with Mist and Roy, he sat in the living room, waiting for Gawain to return. Elena was in the kitchen preparing dinner.

"Didn't Dad mention that he's coming to come home around seven?" Ike asked, looking at the wall clock. It read seven-thirty.

"Maybe he had to work a little bit more or the traffic's bad." Mist shrugged her shoulders.

"Could be."

To be honest with himself, Ike was a bit afraid. Ever since their big fight over fall break, Ike and Gawain did not talk as much. If by chance they did talk, their conversation only least for a few seconds. What if he was still angry? What should Ike say if Gawain actually gave him a 3DS?

Another hour passed and still no sign of Gawain. Ike and Mist both felt impatient and a little worried. Seriously, what was taking him so long? He did promise that he was going to come home by seven to celebrate Ike's birthday! Was he suddenly submerged into the sea of work and completely forgot about his promises. Did an enormous crack suddenly split the freeway apart like the Red Sea, stalling traffic?

"Where is he?!" Ike huffed in annoyance.

"I don't know..." Mist answered quietly, slowly falling asleep.

Roy shrugged his shoulders and gazed at the door like an intimidating Staraptor, waiting for Gawain to enter. He did not Ike to be disappointed! Today was his special day!

Elena approached her children. "Well, it looks like your father couldn't make it back in time." she sadly said. "Ike, I think we need to hold off your birthday for tomorrow."

Ike sighed in frustration. He was greatly disappointed "Okay..."

All of a sudden, the phone blared loudly, shouting at the people to pick it up. Raising an eyebrow, Elena answered it. Could it be a call from Gawain? Ike, Mist, and Roy could only listen and watch.

"Hello? Yes, this is the Greil resistance." Elena said calmly. "Oh, is it about my husband Gawain?" After a quick, panicked garble of voices, Elena's tranquil eyes widened in shock as she gasped in horror. "Yes, what happened?!" she asked quickly, trying to keep calm.

Ike, Mist, and Roy were starting to get anxious. Something happened...

"Oh, I see." Elena continued, her hands slightly shaking. "T-T-Thank you very much." When she unsteadily hung up, she immediately buried her face into hands and began to sob hysterically.

Her children uneasily approached her. "Mom, what happened?" Mist asked.

Elena ceased her weeping. "Y...Your father..." she shakily spoke.

"Yes?" Ike asked.

"He... He got into a car accident."

* * *

**Author's Notes: Well... that is definitely a cliff hanger! *Gets chased by angry reviewers* **

**To be honest, I couldn't wait to upload this chapter. This is basically when the story kinda rolls. We get to see more of Ike and his family. Hopefully, I didn't make Ike obnoxiously whiny in this chapter. The next chapter is going to be every important. It's going to hint some important things. **

**Obnoxious story questions:**

**Had you ever been moody and angry for no apparent reason? **

**What do you think is going to happen in the next chapter? (I know, crappy question.) **

**So far, who do you think is the worst character in the story? The best? **


	15. Chapter 14: More Than Words

Everyone was struck by the train of shock and horror. Mist gasped loudly and covered her mouth. Tears began to fill her teal eyes. "N-No..." she managed to say/

Ike's cobalt eyes widened and became as big as saucers. "This is a joke right?" he asked, his voice rising along with his panic. "If not, is Dad ok?! Did he get any injuries?! Did he—!?"

Elena immediately cut Ike off. "Your father didn't die. However, he is now in a coma."

Roy could only helplessly watch his family panicky ask questions. He set both of his hands on his heart and tried to hold in his tears.

"When is he going to wake up?!" Ike asked again, his voice shaking.

"The doctors don't know." Elena answered miserably. "He might wake up in a few days, a few months, or never."

Unable to hold her emotions, Mist's cup finally overflowed with misery. She rushed towards her mother, quickly wrapped her arms around her, and began to sob uncontrollably. Elena could only return the hug and gently pet her head, trying to calm her. Roy sat on the ground, hugged himself tightly, and shakily wept to himself.

Overfilled with distress and horror, Ike hurried to his room, violently slammed and locked the door shut, and threw himself onto the bed. As tears rolled down his face like a waterfall, he buried his face into the pillow and shrieked loudly. Hs scream of anguish eventually turned into sobs. Ike's tense body jerked with every choke and cry.

Ike wished that this was a dream. He wished he could simply suddenly wake up in his bed on Thursday, about to start the day. However, no matter how much he pinched himself, swung his legs, and wished, the hellish, disastrous nightmare lingered. It was already set in the stone-hard record of fate.

Five minutes passed and Ike weakly looked up at the window and watched the stars twinkle. The bitter tears made his cheeks a painful, sore pink. Ike's breathing creased as thoughts raced through his mind. His cobalt eyes were gray with misery. His indigo hair was ruffled and messy. What was going to happen next? What would happen to his family? When would his father finally wake up? Would he even wake up at all?

"D...Dad..." Ike managed to choke out. Tears began to roll down his face. "I-I-I was selfish..."

Ike began to wonder why the fate of disaster decided to attack his father instead of him. Gawain worked awfully hard to support his family. He made sure they were happy, had enough money to feed their mouths and clothe themselves, and had a roof over their heads. What did he do to deserve this? He never complained! He just kept on doing his role: being the provider of sustenance for his family!

"Dad... I deserve to be in a coma..." Ike said, clutching his bed covers tightly. Ike wished that today, as he, Mist, and Roy walked across the street to Elena's car, a speeding car with a careless driver abruptly turned the corner and violently slammed into him. Yes, his family would be extremely upset however, he did not do anything to support his family unlike Gawain. Nothing would actually change. The family would just be with one less person who did nothing at all.

Something struck Ike like a bolt of lightning. Maybe if he wished hard enough, he could fade into oblivion and make his father wake up! That why, his family would resume their daily activities without him! Although he would vanish, it would not matter! Everyone would forget him, so nothing will matter! With a small sigh, Ike laid his head down in the pillow and clutched his eyes closed, waiting for the mysterious oblivion to claim him.

Roy, who was mourning over Gawain with Elena and Mist, suddenly sensed that someone was missing. He looked around his blurry surroundings. Blinking to clear his vision, Roy realized that Ike was gone! Where was he? Roy eyed the closed door of Ike's room. Wiping his tears, Roy went to the door. He did not want Ike to be alone...

When he took the handle and tried to turn it to open the door, strangely it would not budge an inch. Roy raised an eyebrow and tried turning it with both his hands. Darn it... It was locked! Roy loudly banged his right fist on the door.

Ike heard Roy's fist thumping on the door. Yet, he ignored it.

With a frustrated "Hmmph!", Roy suddenly kicked the door, hoping to grab Ike's attention. He ignored the pain that blistered and bashed in his right foot and continued to slam on the door. C'mon! He just wanted to see Ike! Still, Ike ignored him.

After a minute of pounding on the door, Roy stopped and sternly glared at the unreadable barrier. So, the power of force would not work... It looked like he needed to try something different...

Hesitating shyly for a moment, Roy swallowed his nervousness and suddenly exclaimed, "IKE!" Elena and Mist heard the sudden voice and looked at Roy in bewilderment. Did he just talk?!

"IKE!" Ike heard an unfamiliar voice cry out. He shakily sat up on his bed and raised an eyebrow. That voice... Who was it? It could not be Elena or Mist... It sounded like a boy's voice.

"IKE! PLEASE!" the same voice cried. Ike groggily yet quickly got off his bed and unlocked his door. No... It could not be! He could not talk!

"R-Roy?" Ike unsteadily asked in awe. "Was that you?"

Roy wrapped his head around Ike's waist and buried the side of his head on his stomach. "Ike... Roy no want Ike sad! Roy no want Ike alone! Ike sad face... Bad!"

Ike blinked awkwardly as he tried to translate Roy's improper, broken sentences. Did he meant "Ike, I don't want you to be sad!", "I don't want you to be alone!", and "I don't like it when you're sad!"?

It eventually did not matter, as Roy began to cry hysterically. Ike gently hugged him and whispered, "Thank you, Roy." in his ears.

* * *

The next day, Ike, Mist, and Roy went to school. The three could have taken the day off however, none of them wanted to make up any extra work. Also, they wanted to stay strong!

Ike knew that his friends will ask him how was his birthday. Not wanting to disappoint his friends, Ike forced a smile and answered, "It went pretty well."

Unbeknownst to him however, Link and Marth sensed that something terrible happened yesterday. Their sixth sense gave them the ability to sense a person's true feelings. The two noticed that Ike's voice slightly faltered at the end of his sentences. His soulless, dull eyes that were filled with worry were etched deeply in their minds whenever the made eye contact with him. During class, Ike half-heartedly listened to his teachers and finished his classwork.

"There's something wrong with Ike." Link whispered to Marth as they worked on a paper mâché project.

Marth took a quick look at Ike, who was dazedly spreading plaster on his table's project, which looked like a Bulbasaur. "I know." Marth whispered back. "I want to know what's wrong so I can help him but, he would just say that nothing's wrong!"

Link nodded. He looked at the wall clock and said, "Hey, class is nearly over! We should clean up now!"

The entire class began to clean up. Lucina and Owain collected all of the buckets and set them on a table. Samus and Zelda began to put of the chairs. Trying to cheer himself up, Roy took a broomstick and being to sweep the floor with Red. Link collected scraps of paper and threw them in the trash.

Instead of helping his fellow classmates, Ike just stood near his table and looked at the floor with a blank look. Link instantly noticed this and mouthed, "Something is wrong!" to Marth, who nodded.

"What should we do?" Marth mouthed back.

"I think we need to ask someone like Mist what happened!"

"But, she might not answer!"

Roy noticed Link and Marth strangely mouthing to each other. With a curious look, he went towards them and tilted his head. Link noticed the redhead, went to him, and softly asked, "Roy, can you please tell Marth and me what happened yesterday?"

Roy quickly eyed Ike, making sure he was not watching. With a small nod, he took a piece of paper lying on the table and quickly scribbled a quick story on it. Warily watching Ike, Roy gave the note to Link, who quickly browsed through it along with Marth.

"That actually happened?!" Link softly asked Roy in shock.

With a sad frown, the redhead nodded.

"Everything is beginning to fall into place." Marth whispered to Link.

Link nodded in agreement with Marth. Suddenly, something hit him like a car. "Hey Marth, I have an idea..." Link whispered. Roy curiously watched them, wondering what was their idea.

Eliwood, who was sitting as his desk updating his students' grades, noticed Ike worriedly gazing at the floor. Unlike most teachers, who would assume that everyone was ok and continued to do their things, he sensed that something was wrong. Ever since the first day of school, Ike never behaved that way. He was always happily talking to his friends and helping out.

"Erm, Ike Greil!" he called over everyone's voice, catching Ike's attention. "Please stay in after class. I would like to talk to you."

Ike only nodded slightly in return. When the bell rang, he watched all of his classmates leave the classroom, about to enjoy their hard-earned weekend. After a moment, Ike resumed gazing at the floor with a sad look. With a small, worried look, Roy gently nudged him on the shoulder. Ike only gave him a soft pat on the head in return.

"Ike, you seem troubled." Eliwood said as he took a seat adjacent to Ike. "If it makes you feel better, can you please tell me what's wrong?"

Trying to hold back his tears, Ike swallowed nervously. "It has something to do with my dad."

"Yes?" Eliwood replied softly. "Did something happen?" His navy blue eyes widened slightly with concern when he saw a small tear roll down Ike's left cheek.

"He..." Ike began with a shaking voice. "He got into a car accident last night. He's in a coma now, a-and we don't know when he's gonna w-w-wake up."

"I see... I—" Eliwood was cut off by Ike's weeps.

Ike quickly tried to stop crying and hurriedly wiped his tears, hoping Eliwood did not see anything. "I-It's all my fault... If I never got into a fight with him, this would have never happened!" he managed to shakily choke out.

"Ike, this is not your fault." Eliwood explained. "It just happened. Life is like that way. You don't know what's going to happen next."

Ike nodded in understanding.

"I can relate to your feelings..." Eliwood continued, his expression turned into a sad look. "...when my father died."

"What happened?" Ike asked. "It's alright if you don't want to tell me."

Eliwood closed his eyes as he tried to remember the details of the terrifying, shocking event. "My memory is hazy..." he began, opening his eyes. "If I remember correctly, someone stole something that was very valuable to me. It was something that could never be replaced. I can't remember what it was... Anyway, my father and I chased after the thief. The thief took a gun and shot my father and me."

Ike felt blood draining from his face as he listened to Eliwood's story. Roy tightly hugged Ike's arm for comfort.

"I was hit in the leg." Eliwood continued. He pointed to his right leg. "I don't remember where my father was hit but, I know that he did not make it."

"M-Mr. Pherae, I'm really sorry." Ike spoke up.

Eliwood smiled, which did not look forced and fake. "No worries! I can't mourn and fret over my father's death forever. I need to stay strong for my wife! Well, what I'm trying to explain is, you shouldn't blame yourself over things. Instead, you should try to make the situation better for the moment."

Ike nodded with a small smile, as he felt a bit better. The gears in his brain began to turn. Wait... If Mr. Pherae was married, he must have children! At least one! He also mentioned that something precious to him was stolen! Maybe... Ike took a quick look at Roy, who was seated next to him and slowly falling asleep.

"Mr. Pherae, do you have children?" Ike suddenly asked.

Eliwood was a bit surprised at the unexpected question. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just wondering."

Eliwood sadly looked down. "Fifteen years ago, I think... A few days before my father died... My wife Ninian gave birth to a baby boy. However, he was stillborn."

Ike just nodded, not showing any signs of surprise. _"What?! This can't be! But... It can be possible..." _he thought.

"If he survived, I would've named my son after my father Elbert." Eliwood continued. "But before, Ninian and I originally decided to name him..." With a small sigh, Eliwood set a soft hand on his forehead, trying desperately to remember. "I... I can't remember..." he mumbled.

"What letter did his name start with?" Ike asked curiously.

"I-I-I think it started with..." Eliwood unsurely replied. "...A-An S. The name wasn't really long. I think it had... Less than five letters."

"Sam?" Ike began to randomly toss out names. "Saint? Stan? Seth?"

Eliwood's eyes flickered brightly at one of the names. "Yes, I think his name was Seth!"

Ike smiled at his teacher's response. Eliwood suddenly looked at the clock.

"Look at the time!" he said. "It's getting late!"

Ike rose from his seat. "Thank you, Mr. Pherae!" he thanked with a smile. "I feel much better now!"

"No problem!" Eliwood smiled back.

Ike gently shook Roy awake, who softly mumbled and blinked. He groggily rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "C'mon Roy, let's go!" Ike said.

As he watched his students hurry out of the classroom, Eliwood awkwardly blinked. With a confused look in his eyes, he quietly said to himself, "Roy... Why does his name sound familiar?"

* * *

**Author's Notes: The feels on the bus go round and round? **

**Happy whatever-you-celebrate! Consider this chapter as my gift to you guys! Well, in this chapter, Ike seemed to be horrified by the fact that Gawin was in a coma. To be honest, that's the sad truth. Sometimes, you don't fully appreciate someone until something happens. Don't you agree?**

**As for the poll, the choices Fire Emblem and "Continue writing SSB fanfics" are tied, including a guest's vote. Legend of Zelda is still the runner up, while poor Pokemon has no votes.**

**Obnoxious story questions: **

**Judging by Ike's relationship towards Gawain and his response to his car accident, do you think Ike himself deserves to be in a coma? **

**Why do you think Roy finally decided to talk? **

**What do you think was Eliwood's stolen object? **

**Do you think Eliwood is telling Ike the truth?**


	16. Chapter 15: Niche

That night, Ike laid in his bed, unable to fall asleep due to his troubling thoughts. His father being in a coma was the least of his worries, as Elena told him that the family was financially supported. What Ike was truly pondering on was Eliwood's story. Why could not he remember things clearly? Why was his father killed? What was the precious thing that was stolen? Could it be his newborn baby? But... The baby was stillborn! Was Mr. Pherae even telling the truth?

With a loud sigh, Ike turned and faced Roy, who was in a deep asleep. His head was resting on his chest. The bluenette listened to the echoing blares of a distant train and leaves rustling through the empty street. The alarm clock's ticking noise and Roy's gentle breathing did little to lull him to sleep.

Ike was completely bored with nothing to do. He did not want to play with his phone, as the bright light might wake Roy. He would get up and watch same TV, if Mist and Elena were still awake. While he stretched his legs, Ike turned his attention to Roy's hair, which was not in its usual cardinal color. Rather, it was a murky, dull purple due to the lack of light.

Ike began to toy with Roy's hair. In response, Roy stirred a bit and sighed. He did not care a bit.

As he brushed Roy's hair in several directions, something disturbing caught his eyes. A surgical, dark scar was deeply curved on Roy's scalp. Ike let out a repulsed choke and cringed.

"What is this?!" Ike softly asked himself, trembling slightly. "Did Roy get this from abuse?! H-How long is it?"

Ike slowly traced the scar with his index finger. In his sleep, Roy whimpered frightfully and twitched. His breathing increased with his heartbeat.

"Scary..." Ike stopped when he heard Roy fearfully whined. "S-Scary men... Hurts so much..." Roy continued to whimper, snuggling closer to Ike for protection.

Attempting to comfort Roy, Ike set a gentle hand on his head. However, it did the opposite. Instead of calming down, Roy began to shake uncontrollably and exclaim.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Roy cried out. He began to struggle wildly. "Hurts! Hurts! Hurts! I-Ike!"

"I'm here, Roy!" Ike hugged Roy, which only made him struggle harder. "Roy!"

After a few seconds, Roy eventually calmed down. With a whimper, he hesitantly opened his eyes, making contact with Ike's worried cobalt-blue eyes.

"Roy, are you ok?" Ike asked.

Roy blinked and leaned back. "Roy good." he said softly. "N...Nightmare."

"You had a nightmare? What was it about?"

Roy closed his eyes and tried to remember. "Bad men took Roy away. Ike no save me..."

"You dreamed that some men took you away and I didn't save you?"

Roy nodded sadly. "Ike..." He nuzzled the side of his head against Ike.

"Roy, I promise that I will protect you, no matter what happens." Ike vowed.

"Really?" Roy asked with wide eyes.

"Yes." Ike smiled trustfully.

Roy sweetly smiled back before drifting back into sleep.

* * *

"Pit, your mission is to fly to these cities and search for the boy." Ganondorf explained to Pit, who was listening diligently. The angel was garbed in a long-sleeved black shirt underneath a short-sleeved white shirt, jeans, and sneakers. He pointed to the cities on the map. "Once when you find him, report back to us immediately. Avoid all strangers at all costs. Do you understand?"

Pit nodded and said, "Yes, I understand everything."

"Good." Ganondorf replied. "We will begin your mission now."

What happened immediately after Ganondorf's sentence was a blur of colors to Pit. He was guided out of the building by a group of men. Pit felt a bit excited. He had never been out of the facility before; he was kept in a room for his entire life! What could be out there? However, Pit was a tad scared. Because he was sent on a mission alone, that meant the men in the facility won't be there to protect him from unknown dangers.

Once when he was outside, Pit could only glance around his new surroundings curiously. The glowing, flaming lamps caught his eyes first. His attention towards the orange lights was taken away by the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. When he looked up and watched the crusty, dry leaves fly up in the air, the looming moon and its surrounding sparkling stars drew his attention. They were silvery shapes dotting the dark night sky. The air was fresh and clear, unlike the facility, which felt stuffy and warm.

"Are you ready, Pit?" one of the men asked.

Pit turned around and nodded. "Y-Yes, I am!"

Using all of his strength, Pit quickly flapped his white wings and dashed down the quad. Eventually, the breezy, cool air picked him up like a hand, sending him flying into the air.

The wind whistled in Pit's ears as he flew higher, higher, higher, and higher. Once when he was far up in the air, he looked down at the research facility, which was nothing more than a few cube boxes surrounded by a patch of leaves.

Now that he was free, Pit was tempted to fly off and never return. Admittedly, staying in the room and looking at the floor was not entertaining. However, he could not disobey orders! That was what he was created for! Maybe if he found the red-haired boy, the facility might let him free!

Pit looked across the distance and spotted tiny specks of light gliding across the darkness towards a city of glowing lights. With a brave smile, he began to soar towards the city, determined to complete his mission.

* * *

"Ike... Get up." Ike heard Roy softly say in the depths of his subconscious. Using all of his strength, he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Roy dressed in his usual outfit, curiously looking at him.

"Oh, g-good morning Roy." Ike said, smiling.

"Ike... Phone." Roy held Ike's iPhone in front of the bluenette. "M-Message."

Wondering who sent him a message, Ike unlocked his phone and browsed through the message. It was from Owain.

_"Hey Ike, can you meet me at my place?" _The message asked. _"I want to show you something really awesome! My sword hand is twitching because of it! My address is 9498, Exalt Ave in Melee Bay."_

Ike raised a worried eyebrow. Did something happen? No, it could not be! Owain was probably bored with nothing do and asked him if he wanted to come over! With a small yawn, Ike got out of bed and dressed.

Upon walking out of his room, Ike entered the kitchen with Roy trailing him, where Elena and Mist were sitting, having breakfast.

"Hey Mom. Hey Mist." Ike greeted, opening a Poptart. He sat at the table.

"Good morning, Ike!" Mist replied with a smile.

Elena nodded. "Ike, I know that we couldn't celebrate your birthday before." she spoke. "So today, I'm allowing you to do whatever you want, as long if it's appropriate."

"Thanks Mom!" Ike replied with a smile. "If it's ok, I would like to go to Owain's place. He really wants me there for some reason."

"Sure, I'll take you there. where is it?" Elena asked.

Ike showed Elena Owain's address on his phone. "It's in Melee Bay." The bluenette took notice of Mist. "Mist, do you want to come along?"

"Yeah!" Mist answered cheerfully.

Ike quickly texted a reply to Owain. _"Mist, Roy, and I are coming now. Is that ok?"_

_ "Yeah." _was Owain's reply.

After breakfast, Elena drove Ike, Mist, and Roy to Owain's home. It was a house along a small bay. The house was a bit small, yet high-class. It was a pale yellow with a brown roof.

As the car parked along the driveway, Ike noticed Owain standing in front of his home with Lucina.

"Hey look, there's Ike, Mist, and Roy!" Owain shouted loudly. He and Lucina began to wave at the three, who got out of their car.

"Ike, when you guys are ready to go, give me a call!" Elena said, before driving away.

"Yes, Mom!" Ike replied. He turned to Owain and Lucina. "Hey Lucina and Owain!"

Owain high fived Ike, Mist, and Roy. "What's up, guys!"

Lucina just smiled and waved.

"Owain, you said that there's something really awesome you wanted to show us."

"Oh yeah!" Owain went behind Ike and covered his eyes. "But, I can't show you now! It's a surprise!"

"What the— Owain, I can't see!" Ike exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I'll guide you!" Owain winked at Lucina, Mist, and Roy. "Trust me!"

"If you say so..." Ike replied unsurely. He did not want Owain to sneakily push him into the bay.

Owain guided Ike into his house with Lucina, Mist, and Roy following him. Ike was a bit confused and curious. What was going to happen? Why was Owain doing this? What was this surprise he mentioned?

Once when everyone was inside, Owain finally said, "Ike, you can look now!" as he uncovered Ike's eyes.

"SURPRISE!" Ike was jolted and electrocuted by the lightning bolt of bewilderment. Standing in the living room were Link, Zelda, Marth, and Red. Smiles were pasted on their faces. A freshly baked chocolate birthday cake sat on a table with plastic forks, paper plates, and three mysterious presents.

"Happy late birthday, Ike!" Owain announced loudly, his voice echoing in the room.

"G-Guys!" Ike stuttered, his eyes wide with surprise. "This is awesome! But, why? How did you guys find out?"

"Roy told me and Link!" Marth explained. Roy timidly looked down at the floor as pairs of eyes looked at him. "We felt really sorry for you so... We got together and arranged a party!"

"Mom and Dad agreed to have the party here." Owain smiled at a couple standing at the back of the room, who nodded. His mother had light blonde hair, teal eyes, and wore an apron over a simple short-sleeved yellow dress. His father had white hair, closed eyes, and was garbed in a black jacket over a dark purple shirt and jeans.

"Guys, I don't know what to say..." Ike said, tears filling his eyes. "I... Well... You guys didn't have to do this!"

"We're your friends, Ike." Link replied with a reassuring smile. "That's what we do."

"Guys..." Ike softly said. A small tear rolled down his right cheek.

All of a sudden, Roy tightly wrapped his arms around Ike's waist and looked into his eyes worriedly. Ike froze; what was wrong?

"Roy, what is it?" Ike asked. Mist and his friends could only watch.

"H-H-Hmmmg..." Roy quietly whimpered.

"Are you sick?" Ike asked again.

Roy shook his head no.

"What's wrong?"

"...Ike..." Roy coyly started. "Please don't cry!"

Ike's friends were astonished. Roy finally talked! Ike and Mist were also bewildered. About two days ago, he spoke improperly!

"I don't like it when you're sad!" Roy continued, hugging the larger male tighter. "I like it more when you're happy! Ike, be happy! Please! For your friends, Mist, and me!"

Ike petted Roy on the head. "Roy, I'm not sad. I'm happy. Sometimes, happiness is expressed through tears."

Roy snuggled against Ike. "Ike?" he said softly. "Are you sure you're happy?"

Ike smiled. "Yes, I am."

"Happy birthday, Ike." Roy whispered.

"Hey Ike, are you ready to celebrate?" Lucina spoke up awkwardly.

"Yeah!" Ike replied with a grin. "Let's get this party started!"

Owain cut a slice of cake and gave it to Ike. "My Mom and Dad made the cake. Try it! It's good!"

When Ike took a huge bite of the cake, he felt something plastic sitting and twirling in his mouth.

"How is it?" Owain asked.

"It's good." Ike said as he carefully swallowed his food. "But, there's something in it."

Hoping not the disgust his peers, Ike carefully took the small, plastic object out of his mouth and looked at it. It was a fake cockroach. Yet, it nearly looked real. Ike exclaimed loudly, dropped the cockroach, and backed away, causing his friends to gasp.

"What happened?!" Lucina asked, alarmed.

"There was a cockroach in the cake!" Ike replied panicky.

Ike's statement was followed by a mischievous "Nya-hahaha!" coming from the back of the room.

Lissa gave Henry a light on the face. "Henry! Did you put the cockroach in the cake?!"

Henry rubbed his sore with a slight grin. "Yeah! I just want excitement to crawl in everyone! Nya-hahahaha!"

As he watched the couple's awkward conversation, Ike whispered to Owain, "Owain, are your parents always like that?"

"Yeah, they are." Owain replied with a smile. "Don't worry, my Dad is actually a good father despite his actions. Mom always had to control him, though. He likes to pull pranks on unsuspecting people."

The others took a small slice of the cake and carefully munched on it, hoping not to bite into a fake, plastic cockroach. Luckily, they didn't, much to their relief.

"This is really good!" Red commented between chews.

With a blush in his cheeks, Marth happily nodded in agreement. Link and Lucina just smiled.

"Oh yeah. Ike do you want your presents now?" Link asked, finishing the last bite of his cake.

"Sure." Ike replied.

Link took his gift, which was a small gift box wrapped in a plan green wrapping paper, and gave to Ike. With a small smile, Ike opened it, revealing its contents.

"Whoa, it's a dark green bandana!" Ike said, holding it up. "Err, what do I do with it?"

"Simple!" Link answered. "You tie it around your head! Here, let me help you!"

Link tightly tied the bandana over Ike's head.

"You look awesome in it!" Owain remarked loudly.

"Really?" Ike replied. "Thanks!"

"Yeah, I'm nearly broke, so this was the only could get." Link shrugged his shoulders.

"It's alright!" Ike smiled at Link. "Thanks, Link!"

Red approached Ike with a small gift bag. "Well, I hope you like my gift." he said, giving Ike the bag. "You can't really use it without a 3DS."

Ike reached into the gift bag. "Whoa, it's Pokemon X!" he exclaimed. The bluenette wrapped his arms around Red. "Thanks! I'll start playing it as soon as when I get my 3DS!"

Red returned the hug. "No problem!"

Owain, Lucina, and Marth approached Ike with their gift. It was a rectangular-shaped object wrapped in newspaper. "Ike, all three of us put our cash together and brought this." Lucina said. "Consider this as a gift from my cousins and me."

"Huh?!" Ike gasped. "You, Marth, and Owain are cousins?!"

"Yeah!" Marth answered cheerfully. He held out the gift. "I know, it's kinda not obvious! Here you go!"

Ike took the box and carefully tore off the newspaper, revealing a music box. On the lid of the box casted in bronze was the word _Lilium. _"Wow, where did you guys get this?"

"Believe it or not, we recently got it at an anime convention." Owain answered. "Play it! C'mon!"

A bit curious, Ike opened the music box, making it play a beautiful yet saddening melody. A pink clam shell sat at the left corner of the box. Although Ike did not like somber music, the mystical melody soothed him.

"I like it." Mist said, her real eyes shining in amazement. Roy nodded in agreement. "What about you, Ike?"

"I like it too!" Ike answered, closing the music box and gently setting on the table. "Thank you, everyone."

Stretching his arms as wide as he could, Ike embraced the three cousins.

"Awwwww! You're welcome!" Marth said, returning the hug.

Link, Mist, Red, and Roy joined in the hug. "Group hug!" Link exclaimed.

As Ike was embraced by his friends and family, he suddenly felt a familiar, warm feeling. It was similar to the feeling he had when he spender his time with his Crimean friends, only that it was much stronger. What was it? Was it the feeling of friendship? Was it a sense of belonging? Ike shook these answers off. For the first time in his life, he was glad that he moved to Smashville.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Oh Henry, you and your tricks!**

**Here's the super-duper long chapter 15! Just to let everyone know, chapter 16 is not finished yet. So it's back to "slow" updates. /gets hit with pie. I hope I didn't make Roy speak properly too soon in the story. I felt that it was needed in this chapter. **

**I decide to close the poll. The poll with the most votes (Including guests) is "continue writing SSB fanfics". TBH, I'm more comfortable with writing SSB fics because, there are a more variety of characters to write about. Maybe someday, I'll step out of my comfort zone and write a Fire Emblem fanfic. **

**Obnoxious Story Questions: **

**How do you think Roy got the scar on his head? **

**How should Pit find Roy?**

**Why do you think Ike felt glad that he moved to Smashville? (is slapped with fish due to stupid question. **

**PS: Everyone probably knows this but, I'm posting this just in case. I don't own SSB! **


	17. Chapter 16: Princess's Prince Charming

That night, Ike and Roy were sitting in Ike's room, getting ready for bed. It was an exciting and fun, yet tiring party at Owain's. The two were ready to hit the sock.

"Hey Ike, I'm sorry that I didn't give you a gift for your birthday." Roy spoke up, lying on Ike's bed with a tired sigh.

"It's alright, you did give me a gift." Ike answered, turning on the small lamp on his bed stand and turning off the ceiling fan's lamp. He lied down next to Roy. "It was you beginning to talk."

"Thanks..." Roy blushed at Ike's sentence. "Owain's party was really fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah!" Ike replied. "We played video games, watched a movie, and ate cake! Well... Owain's dad sneaking the fake cockroach wasn't the best part but, it didn't ruin the party!"

"I think that was the funniest part!" Roy giggled.

Ike shot Roy a comical, annoyed look before it turned into a warm smile. It was great for Roy to start talking, as Ike thought he was greatly traumatized by something in his "family". Yet, another question crawled into Ike'a thoughts. What actually happened to Roy? It was a mystery when Ike and Mist first met him but, since he could talk, maybe the question would finally be solved!

"Roy, can I ask you something?" Ike suddenly asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" Roy sweetly smiled.

"Well... Before Mist and I found you, what happened to you?"

Roy's face went pale as he remembered those horrible, traumatizing memories. "I... I escaped."

"From where?" Ike asked sternly.

"My... Old home?"

"Where was your old home?" Ike's voice was rising, striking fear into Roy's heart.

"Ummn, it is really hard to explain." Roy's voice faltered.

"Where is it?!" Ike asked again.

"At some... Building?"

"How was your family?"

Roy began to tremble slightly as he remembered his abusive caretakers. "Really bad. T-T-They locked me in a room."

Ike was horrified at Roy's answer. "Really?! Did they ever let you out?!"

"I tried escaping a few times but, they always caught me." Tears began to fill the redhead's widening eyes. "And when they did... They would hit me. And after that they—"

Roy's answer was interrupted by his tears rolling down his face. He was shaking like an earthquake as he remembered every single little detail at the research facility; how the man treated him, what they did to him, how they punished him, and their traumatizing tests.

Ike wrapped his arms around Roy and gave him a tight hug. "Roy, are you ok?" his voice full of concern. He gasped when the smaller male buried his face into his shoulder and began to weep softly. "Roy, I'm sorry for asking you these questions." Ike apologized, patting Roy's back. "I shouldn't force you."

"Ike..." Roy's muffled voice spoke weakly. He slowly looked up at Ike's cobalt eyes, which were filled with understanding and gentleness. "It's... Okay."

Ike gave Roy a small pat on the head before turning off the lamp and tossing the blanket over Roy and himself. "Let's not cry anymore, ok! Like Mr. Pherae told us, we should just make our situation better!"

"Yes!" Roy cuddled against Ike's larger body and yawned. "Goodnight, Ike..."

"Goodnight Roy."

* * *

Halloween was just around the corner. To some of the students of Nintery (mostly the snobby popular ones), Halloween was just a childish excuse for wearing costumes and whatnot. However, Ike's friends though differently. They loved Halloween, as they enjoyed cosplaying and hunting through the neighborhood for candy. As Halloween sneakily crept closer and closer, the excitement for the spooky holiday increased.

Yet, something burst the bubble of excitement when Ike quickly scrolled through the weather forecast on his phone during lunch.

"You got to be kidding me!" Ike shouted in fury, making everyone look at him.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked worriedly.

Ike showed Link, Marth, Roy, and Mist the weather forecast, who gathered around him. "It's gonna rain on Halloween!" he groaned.

Red, Fox, and Falco overheard the conversation. "Aw man..." Fox sighed.

Falco could only shake his head.

"Well, it might rain in the morning but not in the night." Red replied, trying to cheer his friends up.

"I'm not sure about that." Link responded with a sad look. "I heard that it's going to rain all day!"

"That sucks!" Red said before resuming playing with his 3DS.

Lilina, who also heard the conversation, added something. "I don't want to add insult to injury but, Halloween's on a school night. So, we technically won't have enough time to go trick-or-treating, unless or teachers don't give us lots of homework."

"Yeah..." Marth sighed in anguish. "Also, we have Japanese 3 on Thursday. And you know how much homework he gives out, right?"

Wolt sighed. "Yeah..."

"Hey Marth, why don't you try to convince your dad to assign less homework?" Lilina suggested. "You're his son, so he might listen to you!"

"No, that's not going to work." Marth answered. "He's really strict on assignments."

"Had you tried before?" Roy asked, joining the conversation.

"No, I hadn't!" Marth replied, shaking his head. "And I never will! He's not going to be convinced! He's just going to ground me again!"

"C'mon, Marth." Roy tried to convince. "You never know unless you try."

Marth looked at Wolt, Lilina, and Roy and saw the begging gleam in their eyes. "Oh alright, I will." he said grudgingly.

"Yay!" Lilina cheered.

Roy smiled when he heard the bluenette cheer. His face suddenly turning pink and warm, he scurried back to Ike's side.

"Hey Roy, your face is pink." Ike pointed out.

Roy's face turned pinker. "I-I know!"

"It's Lilina again, right?" Ike whispered.

Roy nodded a yes. Blushing furiously, he began to watch Lilina talk to Wolt. Whenever he hung around Lilina and spoke to her, he would get a funny, timid, flattered feeling. Wondering why he felt this way, he asked Ike, "Ike, why do I get these feelings around Lilina?"

"I think you have a crush on her, just like Link with Zelda." Ike smiled impishly.

"No, no, no! This can't be!" Roy's face was cherry-red. "She's just a friend! She's just a friend!"

Lilina heard Roy's loud shouting. "Who are you talking about, Roy?" she asked, not aware of the fact Roy liked her.

"A-A-A-AHHHHHHH!" Roy screamed in surprise. Like a certain blue hedgehog, he dashed out of PAC, shrieking hysterically.

During the end of 8th period, Ingio was hanging around his seat about to leave when at the ring of the bell when Roy timidly approached him. Ingio was very popular in his grade for providing dating tips and building love relationships for his peers. (Even though some of them failed to work.)

"Urm, Ingio?" Roy softly asked.

"Hey Roy!" Ingio greeted with a friendly smile. "What's up?"

"Well, I heard that you are known for giving dating advice and stuff like that." Roy began quietly, his face turning pink.

"Ooh!" Ingio exclaimed, causing some of his classmates to look. "You got a girlfriend?! Who is it? Who is it?"

"Ingio, wait!" Roy shouted, waving his hands crazily. "It's not that! It's a crush!"

"Who's your crush, Roy?" Samus asked, joining the conversation.

"Hey, I'm wondering who is your support!" Red shouted. "Get it?"

"I get it!" Fox replied. "Fire Emblem?"

"Don't tell me, it's Lucina, right?" Owain teased, earning a slap from Lucina herself.

"We are just friends!" Lucina shouted at her smirking cousin.

"Please tell us!" Caeda begged.

"If you need help in your relationship, ask me or Ingio for advice." Zelda said. "Actually, not Ingio, Link."

Link blushed. "Gee Zelda..." he said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Neh, everyone!" Marth screamed loudly, completely silencing the entire class. "You're putting pressure on Roy!" He pointed to Roy, who covered his face with his hands.

Ike went up to Roy and put a gentle hand on his head. Roy shyly looked up.

"It's ok, Roy." he said. "Just tell us. We'll keep this a secret, right everyone?" Ike's question was answered with "Yes!", "Yeah!", and nods.

"Well, it's not really a secret anymore, since almost the entire class found out Roy has a crush." Lucina said, shaking her head.

"Um, everyone?" Roy started, gathering all of his courage. "M-My crush is... L... L-Lilina!"

A few classmates looked at each other in confusion, as some of them did not know the blue-haired sophomore.

"Lilina?" Rosalina asked. "Who's that?"

"Erm, she's a sophomore who is... I think Mr. Ostia's daughter." Roy answered.

"I think I heard of her!" Caeda said, turning to Peach, Zelda, Samus, and Rosalina. "She was in the play Sword of Seals l think. I can't remember who she was, though."

"I think she was the princess who gets rescued by the lordling!" Zelda said.

Eliwood, who was watching his students gather near Ingio's table, said, "Everyone, go back to your seats! It's getting too crowded back there!"

Roy was glad that his teacher ordered everyone back to their seats. It was a bit embarrassing and nerve-wrecking to be at the center of attention.

"That was really embarrassing..." Roy whispered to Ike.

"Yeah, sometimes people really need to know when to shut their faces!" Ike replied. "Besides, what did you want to ask Ingio? I can answer it!"

"Well... I just wanted to ask him if I'm really in love with Lilina." Roy explained. "I mean, I think we are better off as friends but, I would get this funny feeling whenever I'm by her side! I might be in love with her but, my love might be an infatuation! Also, what about Wolt? I see him hang around her all the time, so do you think they are in a relationship? If so, I might be relieved but also—"

"Roy." Ike interrupted. "I think you're over thinking. Also, I heard Wolt mention that he has a girlfriend named Sue. She's busy all the time, so she can't hang out with us."

Roy nodded in understanding.

"Besides. I think you shouldn't think about it a lot." Ike continued. "Mom told me that relationships in school could interfere with your performance."

"Well... If you say so." Roy said. He was still blushing madly.

After class, Ike and Roy quickly went to Ike's locker to drop off his Chemistry notebook, as they had a test that day (Hey, in most classes, after when you take a test, your teacher doesn't assign any homework, doesn't he?). As Roy watched Ike open his locker and dump his notebook, he tried to not think about Likina. However, his brain refuses to stop. It's the feeling when one tries to forget about something via not thinking yet, the brain thinks about it anyway.

Roy was conflicted with his feelings. Well, he did like Lilina but, should he take their friendship to a new level like Link and Zelda? Or should he and Lilina just be friends, which seem to be more comfortable? He did not want to be part of some gossip and stir up drama, like he did during 8th period.

"Alright, Roy!" Ike said, slamming the locker's door shut with a loud bang. "We're set!"

Just as when Ike and Roy went down the hallway towards the front of the school, they happened to see Lilina, who was cornered by the bullies Waluigi, Wario, and Bowser Jr.

Ike instantly stopped Roy. "Whoa, what's happening?" he asked quietly.

"C'mon Lilina!" Bowser Jr. whined at Lilina. "Give us your money! You promised to lend it to us!"

"I don't remember making a promise." Lilina replied bluntly, glaring at the three bullies. "Don't see my kindness as a weakness!"

"Give it to us RIGHT-A NOW!" Wario growled.

"No." was Lilina's only reply

"If you won't-a give your money to us, we'll make you give it-a to us!" Waluigi shouted, pulling back his fist.

Roy quickly rushed towards Lilina and stood directly in the bullies' path. "W-Wait, stop it!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms out to defend Lilina.

"Roy!" Ike shouted, not knowing what to do.

"Oh, it's-a you." Wario said, glaring at Roy.

"Leave her alone!" Roy sternly said, trying to keep a brave face on.

"Pfft, we can handle this." Waluigi suddenly grabbed Roy by his blue jacket and shoved him against a wall. Roy grunted at the sudden impact.

"Roy!" Lilina cried out in panic.

Ike was slightly panicking. What should he do? Beat them up? But, that would definitely get him into trouble! Yell at them? That might work!

"Guys, stop it!" Ike ordered, stepping towards the bullies. "You guys—"

Ike was cut off by a certain Art History teacher's angry shout. "HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

Waluigi let go of Roy and along with his two pals, nervously gazed at the enraged Hector. Ike and Roy froze like ice. Hector was FURIOUS.

Hector was known for notoriously giving out lots of homework to his students. Some of them, mainly the ones who were not used to doing this much homework and took no effort to finish them, often compared him to Demise, the Shadow Queen, and Grimea. In reality, Hector was understanding and likes to joke. Sometimes however, he could be as strict and blunt as a slap in the face.

"Er, n-n-nothing!" Bowser Jr. stuttered.

"Let's-a go!" Wario quickly said.

Without wasting a single moment, the three bullies hurried away for their lives.

"Lilina, are you ok?" Hector worriedly asked, his harsh expression softening. "What happened?"

"I'm ok, these three bullies just tried to take my money." Lilina answered calmly. "If it weren't for Roy and Ike, they would've gotten it!"

"Well done, Ike and Roy." Hector praised his two students.

Ike's face turned pink. "Well, we didn't do a whole lot to be honest. At least we managed to stall some time."

"Lilina, I need to go to the main office quickly to check my mailbox." Hector told Lilina. "I'll be back quickly."

"Ok, Dad!" Lilina replied with a sweet smile, watching her father quickly leave.

Roy shyly approached Lilina, his hands clasped together and slightly shaking. "Erm, Lilina? Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, Roy! What is it?" Lilina replied.

Roy timidly looked down at the ground. How should he say this? Should he tell her he loved her straightaway or tell her he had some feelings for her?

"Well, this is hard to explain..." he began shakily. "I..."

"Yes?" Lilina asked. "Go on. Take your time!"

"I... I have f-f-feelings for you!" Roy quickly blurted out, blushing furiously. "I like you and I always will!"

Lilina was shocked at the sudden statement. "Roy... I don't know what to say..."

"I-I-I'm really sorry!" Roy replied.

"You don't have to be sorry!" Lilina said as she gave the redhead a hug. "Thank you, Roy! You know, I like you too!"

Roy was dumbfounded. After letting Lilina's words sink in, the redhead hugged the bluenette back.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Happy New Year everyone!**

**To be honest, I did not know what to write for chapter 16. I was originally going to jump to Pit meeting Roy and the others however, I wanted to introduce some RoyXLilina. I felt that I was leaving Wolt and Lilina out of the story. Hopefully, this chapter did not bore anyone and cause another shipping war. **

**Story Questions:**

**Do you think Roy was willing to tell Ike his past? Why or why not?**

**Would you rather be friends with someone you like or take it to the next level? **

**Sooner or later, Roy's going to be taken back to the facility. How should he? (Just a quick note, chapter 17's is going to interfere with the idea of Pit disguising himself as a student and gaining Roy's trust before backstabbing him.) **


	18. Chapter 17: Wings

After saying goodbye to Lilina, Ike and Roy met Mist at the front of the school. Together, they waited for Elena to pick them up. Flattered by Lilina's sudden compassion, Roy's face was just as red as his hair.

"Hey Roy, why is your face so red?" Mist asked curiously, not aware of what happened.

"Err, it's nothing!" Roy quickly answered, his face turning redder.

"Yeah, 'nothing'!" Ike teased. "You just told Lilina that you liked her!"

"IKE!" Roy snapped, having a comical angry expression pop onto his face.

"Awwww, that's cute!" Mist cheerfully remarked.

Roy pouted in response.

"Hey look, there's Mom!" Ike pointed to the silvery car driving down the street, about to park at the front of the school. "Let's go!"

The three got into Elena's car.

"Hey Mom!" Ike greeted, shutting the door shut.

"Hello, Ike, Mist, and Roy!" Elena replied happily.

Ike, Mist, and Roy awkwardly looked at each other. Whoa... Their mother was so unbelievably cheerful... What happened?

"Uh, you sound really happy Mom." Ike uneasily said. "Did anything happen?"

"Yes." When the car stopped at a stoplight, Elena turned around and smiled at her children. "I got a call from the hospital."

"Y-Yes?" Ike's voice rose. He sensed what the call was about. "A-And?"

"Your father woke up from his coma." Elena finished.

The three teens began to cheer loudly. When the stoplight turned green, Elena smiled and continued to drive down the street.

"Yes! I was so worried about Dad!" Mist cheered.

Roy nodded and beamed brightly.

"That's awesome!" Ike said loudly. "When can we visit him? Now?"

Elena's smile fell slightly. "Well, we can't visit him today. The doctor told me that your father was awake only for a few seconds. When you're recovering from a coma, you constantly wake up and lose your consciousness again."

"Phooey." Mist said.

"Don't worry!" Elena reassured. "We can visit him once Thanksgiving break arrives!"

"Alright!" Ike shouted.

Elena suddenly remembered something. "Oh yes, I remember."

"What is it?" Roy asked.

"On Thursday, I need to serve for jury duty." Elena explained. "So, I'm going to have Ms. Palutena babysit you three."

"Ms. Palutena?!" Ike asked in shock. "Are you talking about the neighbor who lives across the street from us?!"

"Yes." Elena answered. "I don't want to leave you three at home. Even though Smashville is a safe place, anything could happen. On Thursday, you will do directly to her house and stay there until I return."

"We understand." Mist said before turning to Ike. "Hey Ike?"

"Yeah?" Ike whispered.

"I don't really want to stay with Ms. Palutena, do you?"

Ike nodded. "Yeah, she's kinda boring."

Ms. Palutena was a green-haired lady who lived across the street from Ike's home. Ever since the moment she and Elena met on the day the family moved to Smashville, the two were close friends. Ike and Mist did not consider her as much, as they only saw her watering her beloved flowers in the morning.

* * *

In a blink of an eye, the rainy, gloomy Thursday came. Out of spirit for Halloween, Ike and his friends went to school dressed in a costume. Ike was a mercenary with a blue tunic and red cape. Mist was a princess in a yellow dress. Roy was a swordsman with a blue tunic and matching headband. Link was a hero garbed in green from the medieval ages. Marth was a prince dressed in tones of blue. Just to tease Marth, Lucina was dressed in the same costume, much to her cousin's annoyance. Owain was a myrmidon. Red was a Pokemon trainer; he came to school with a Pikachu plushie, red PokeBall, and a fake PokeDex. Wolt claimed to be an archer. Because his family did not have a lot of money, he just dressed in a dark blue jacket, jean shorts, and tall boots. Lilina was a magician in a red dress with gold trimmings. Fox and Falco were pilots from a video game.

Other than sharing a few pieces of candy, complimenting their costumes, and taking pictures, the gang did not do a whole lot, as it was raining. During lunch, the twelve stood underneath the PAC's roof, watching the rain fall as they eat their lunch.

"I wonder if anyone's still going trick-or-treating!" Link remarked to Ike.

"Nah, I'm not going to." Ike replied. "It's raining too hard! Besides, even if it didn't rain, I need to go somewhere after school."

"That gotta suck!" Link said.

"Hey guys, I heard that there is going to be a storm tonight!" Marth spoke up. "S-S-Scary!"

"Whoa!" Red exclaimed. "I personally don't like storms. Well, not that I'm scared but, the reason why I don't like them is, they scare my Pokemon!"

"Let's hope the rain calms down." Mist said.

Unfortunately as the day progressed, the rain raged on. By the end of school, raindrops were as big as a cherry. They violently pounded on the classroom's roof and the asphalt ground.

After school, Palutena picked up Ike, Mist, and Roy and took them to her house. It looked similar to theirs; the only difference was, the house was painted white, the lawn was slightly overgrown with weeds, and there were pots of flowers sitting everywhere.

"Sorry that it's a messy."Palutena said to the teens as she unlocked the front door. "I didn't have a chance to clean up."

"It's alright." Ike replied.

The teens followed their babysitter inside her house. It was a bit messy. Books were piled on the table. A few blankets covered the sofa. Three boxes were set at the corner of the room. Upon entering, Roy sneezed loudly.

"Here, let me clear the table for you three." Palutena said, stacking the books on the table neatly. "Do you three want something to eat?"

"No thanks." Mist answered.

Roy shook his head.

"No thanks, I'm still full." Ike replied.

Palutena nodded in understanding and continued to clean the table.

"Ike?" Roy quietly whispered.

"Yeah?" Ike replied.

"Doesn't Ms. Palutena seem really lonely?" Roy softly asked.

"Yeah." Ike nodded sadly.

* * *

Trying to find a sense of direction, Pit flew his way through the freezing rain. His entire body shook wildly. Completely drenched in water, his feathery wings felt as heavy as lead, making it harder for him to flap.

What should he do? Should he try to find his way back to the facility or keep on flying until he finds shelter? Before Pit could make a decision, an abrupt, powerful gust of wind blew against him, causing him to flip backwards.

"Wahh!" Pit exclaimed, shaking wildly. "This isn't good..."

Pit's sentence was followed by another violent gust of wind. This time, it shoved him from behind like a bully, making him loose control in his flight and plunge to the ground like a rock.

The angel tried desperately to regain control by flapping his exhausted wings. Yet, his attempts were futile against the strict law of gravity. Screaming loudly for help, he looked down at the tiny neighborhood below, which was growing larger by the second.

"This is going to hurt." Pit said softly to himself, bracing for a painful impact.

* * *

Ike had just finished his Japanese homework when he heard a loud thump on the roof followed by a crash. Mist and Roy looked at each other awkwardly. What happened?

"Did you guys hear that?" Ike asked his siblings.

"Yeah!" Mist answered. "It came from the front door! Let's check it out!"

When the three opened the front door, the first thing they saw was an unconscious male angel lying on the wet lawn, being drenched by the freezing rain. Questions began to run through their minds. Who was he? Was he dressed in a costume, or were his wings real? What happened to him? What was he doing?

"Mist, go get Ms. Palutena." Ike ordered uneasily. "Roy and I are going to check on him."

Mist nodded and hurried back inside to get Palutena. Not minding getting wet, Ike and Roy carefully approached the angel. As he got closer, Roy felt a familiar, dangerous feeling. Something told him that he should stay away from the angel.

"Roy, are you ok?" Ike asked. "You seem scared."

"I'm ok!" Roy answered, trying to hide his nervousness. "I'm just concerned. Do you think he's alive?"

"He's breathing." Ike gently shook the angel. "Hey, wake up! Are you alright?"

Pit groaned softly as he painstakingly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was Roy, who curiously looked at him. Pit slightly jumped. Hey, that was the boy the men at the facility told him to look for!

"Are you ok?" Ike asked, helping Pit up.

Hoping to not make the two suspicious and flee, Pit forced a cheerful smile and answered. "Yeah! I'm ok! Don't worry!" He then quickly turned around and was about to take off to the sky when he felt a sharp pain jab in his left wing. "A-Ah!" Pit cried out in pain, kneeling down and clutching his wing. "I-It hurts! My wing!"

"Wait, these are actually real?" Ike asked, gently touching Pit's right wing. "That's neat!"

Roy shuddered at Ike's comment. Wait, these wings were real? The redhead began to suspect the true reason why Pit was in Smashville.

At that moment, Mist arrived at the scene with Palutena. "See! He's an angel!" she said excitedly.

Palutena approached Pit, who was still cradling his wings. "What happened?" she asked calmly. "Did you break your wing?"

"Yeah..." Pit shyly answered, not feeling comfortable surrounded by these strangers. "I was flying through the rain, crashed, and kinda broke it."

"Let's go inside and take a look at it." Palutena said.

Once when everyone was inside, Palutena began to wrap rolls of bandages around Pit's injured wing. Mist and Ike resumed doing their homework. Roy, who managed to finish his work, doubtfully watched Pit.

"So, what's your name?" Palutena asked Pit.

"It's Pit." Pit timidly answered.

Roy's hands began to tremble slightly. In the research facility, the scientists mentioned the name "Pit" a few times.

_"There's no doubt." _Roy thought to himself in fear. _"The men sent Pit to find me..."_

"How long will it take for my wing to get better?" Pit asked, looking down at the floor.

"Maybe a month." Palutena answered. Pit sighed quietly in frustration. "I'm sorry... There! It's all done! Just try not to move your left wing!"

Touching the bandages that wrapped around his injured wing, Pit felt a bit depressed and upset. How could he return to the facility now, since his only means of transportation was broken? Pit glanced at Roy, who stared back at him. At least he knew where his target was...

"Um, can I talk to you, Pit?" Roy suddenly asked.

Pit's right wing twitched. "Um, s-sure."

Roy led Pit out of the house. Standing on the front porch and listening to the rain patter on the ground and roof, the two began to converse with each other.

"I know why you're here." Roy spoke sternly to Pit, his voice slightly shaking with fear. "You're here to find me and report back to _that place_, right?"

"Yes." Pit answered. "How did you know?"

"I heard your name serval times in the facility before." Roy explained. "When I heard you tell Ms. Palutena your name, I assumed that you were someone from the facility. What do you know? I was right."

"Ok...?" Pit said, waiting for Roy continue.

"Just to let you know, I don't want to go back." Roy continued.

"But, you have to!" Pit begged loudly. "It's my duty to serve the men at the facility!"

"You don't know how it is like to be locked in a room and have people examine and perform things on you!" Roy argued, his voice rising. "I don't want my freedom to be taken away!"

Pit blinked awkwardly. "Er... What's a freedom?"

"You never heard of that word?" Roy asked, a bit shocked.

"Yeah!" Pit answered innocently.

Roy tried to think of a way to describe freedom to Pit. "Well, it's something that neither of us has at the facility."

"So?" Pit asked, confused.

"Aren't you tired of following the men's orders like a trained Pokemon?" Roy was slowly losing his patience with the angel.

"Well, not really." Pit responded with a sad look. "To be honest, I was created to follow orders."

"I see... Roy suddenly thought of something. "Come with me please."

Following the redhead's orders, Pit trailed Roy back into the house. Once when they were inside, Roy gave Pit another order.

"Now, I want you to hit Ike." Roy said out loud, so everyone could hear.

Ike looked up from his homework in shock. "What?!" he replied.

Feeling guilty, Pit approached Ike and rolled his right hand into a fist. "I'm so sorry. But, an order is an order." Pit whispered unhappily.

At the split second before Pit swing his fist directly at Ike's face, Roy exclaimed, "STOP!" In astonishment, Pit jumped away from Ike and looked at Roy.

"Now what?!" Pit asked. What did this redhead want?!

"Follow me." Roy said, motioning Pit to follow him back outside.

Pit sighed loudly in frustration. He did not really want to do this... Once when the two teens were outside on the front porch again, Roy asked, "So, how did you feel?"

"I didn't really want to do it..." Pit answered. "But I had to. You said so."

"You know, you could've just told me that you did not want to." Roy said.

"But, it was an order..." Pit replied quietly.

"You don't need to follow everyone's orders." Roy explained. "Sometimes, you can choose to obey or not obey an order."

"If you say so..." Pit said.

Roy felt a chill shoot down his spine. "It's really cold here. I'm going back inside." As the redhead entered the house, he did not bother to tell Pit to follow; Roy wanted the angel to think for himself.

Pit could only helplessly watch Roy enter the house and watch the rain plunge from the sky. A sound of thunder was heard from the distance, striking fear into his heart. He began to think about what Roy told him. Maybe he was right... He had the freedom to think for himself. Maybe the men at the facility brainwashed him into thinking he was born to obey orders. To be honest, when the men ordered him to look for Roy, he did not want to, as he felt that the outside world was a terrifying place. However, he managed to convince himself by telling himself that this was his duty.

Another bang of thunder made Pit jump in fright. He really want to go inside... But, no one told him it was ok to go inside. But, it was freezing! Also, he sensed that the thunder was going to strike him any moment! Gathering his courage, Pit hesitantly went back inside the house.

Inside, Ike and Mist had just finished their homework. Along with Roy, they were munching on some cookies Palutena baked for them. Pit gazed at the plate of chocolate chip cookies siting on their table. Gee... They looked so tasty... Not to mention that Pit hadn't eaten for days!

"Erm, if it's ok, can I have a..." Pit could only point at the cookie. To be honest, he was afraid of the answer _no_.

"A cookie?" Mist replied. "Yeah, sure!"

Pit smiled timidly as he took a cookie and began to slowly nibble it. "T-Thank you." he thanked between bites.

"So, you're Pit, right?" Ike asked.

"Yeah!" Pit softly piped up. "If I heard correctly from..." Pit timidly looked at Roy.

"Roy." the redhead said.

"R-Roy! That's it! Anyway..." Pit continued. "Roy said your name was Ike, right?"

"That's right." Ike answered.

"I'm Mist!" Mist greeted with a smile. "So, you can actually fly with these wings?"

"Yeah! But..." Pit sadly looked at his bandaged left wing. "I can't for now..."

"That gotta suck." Ike spoke up. At the moment, Palutena came to the table with four cups of milk sitting on a tray. She set it onto the table, sat down, and listened to the teens' conversation. "Do you usually fly everywhere?"

"Yeah." Pit sighed. "Now, I can't fly back home..."

"Speaking of home, where do you live?" Mist asked. "How's your family? Do they also have wings?"

"Well..." Pit started. He was unsure how to answer Mist's answer. Now the he was free from the clutches of the facility, he was actually beginning to enjoy his freedom! If he told the three where was his "home" and how was his "family", they might not believe him or suspect something! Either way, like Roy, Pit did not want to return to the facility!

"To be honest, I'm an orphan." Pit meekly answered.

"Really?!" Mist gasped. "You mean, you don't have a place to live?!"

"Yeah..." Pit answered sadly.

"What about your parents?" Ike asked in concern.

"Well, I decided to run away from them." Pit answered, hoping not to cause suspicion. "To be honest, they didn't really care about me, so they could care less if I suddenly disappeared."

Roy's eyes slightly widened at Pit's answer, yet he kept a calm expression. He sensed that Pit wanted to erase his history in the facility and start a normal life, just like how he did!

"I'm scared..." Pit clutched his head. "I don't want to be alone!"

Palutena set a gentle head on Pit, causing him to calm down. "Don't worry, you won't be alone anymore."

"Why?" Pit sniffed.

"It's because, I'm thinking of adopting you." Palutena answered. "I also feel lonely.

"Really?" Pit asked, his purple eyes widening in joy. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Palutena smiled at Pit as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a huge, hearty hug. As she, Ike, and Roy watched the two, Mist said, "Isn't it great that Pit finally found a home?"

Ike smiled. "Yeah, it is!"

Roy nodded. Although he kept a calm smile on his face, Ike was a bit worried and suspicious. He sensed that Pit was covering a dark past, just like Roy.

* * *

**Author's Notes: (Gets chased by angry readers due to late update.)**

**Sorry for the late update! Recently, school started for me, so I won't finish and upload my chapters as often. For this chapter, I hope I didn't make Roy OOC. He sounded really stern and mature in this chapter in my opinion. Also, I think it was kinda fast for Palutena wanting to adopt Pit. I hope people don't mind. **

**The next chapter will be centered around Link, everyone's favorite Hylian! So, keep an eye out for that! **

**Story Questions:**

**Unlike Pit, why do you think Roy knows what freedom is?**

**So far in the story, who do you think has the most flawless past? **


	19. Chapter 18: Molded Clay

The day after Halloween marked the beginning of November. During that month, the mornings were as cold as winter itself. It was obvious that the days were shorter; the sun began to drop around five, leaving the entire world dark for the time being.

This year, the weather was mysteriously freezing cold. Ike noticed that bits of tiny ice covered the lawn like snow itself. The stinging, icy air repeatedly bit his exposed ears and hands whenever he was outside. Smashville's climate was so cold, it made the sidewalks and streets slippery as soap. There was a moment when during passing period in school, Roy accidentally slipped and fell due to hurrying to catch up with Ike.

"Gee, I don't like this weather..." Roy sighed to Pit during eighth period.

Pit, who recently transferred to Ninterty after being adopted, nodded in agreement. "Yeah... I think my wings are still stiff from the weather."

"I don't think it's that bad." Ike said to the younger males.

"Really?" Roy asked. "Even though I slipped on the sidewalk ten minutes ago?"

"Well... Maybe." Ike answered.

"To be honest, the cold weather's kinda scaring me." Marth spoke up, joining the conversation. "Last night, when Dad and I were driving from school to the supermarket, we had to make a turn. However, it was so slippery, it caused the car to slide across the street into an intersection! Luckily, we didn't get into an accident."

"I know!" Ike agreed. "That would've been bad."

Unbeknownst to his friends, Link overheard the conversation. He cringed at the words _car _and _accident_.

_"Don't worry, Link!" _Link uneasily told himself, trying to calm down. _"Marth is alright!"_

The next day, Ike and his friends were hanging around the PAC, chatting to each other. Ike slightly shook and his teeth clattered. Even though he was wearing two jackets, a turtleneck sweater, thin sweats underneath his jeans, and gloves, he still felt dreadfully cold. Roy huddled close to him for warmth.

At that moment, Link approached Ike and Roy. "Hey, had any of you seen Zelda?" he asked.

"No, I hadn't." Ike answered.

"That's strange..." Link said to himself. "By now, she would be at school!"

"Maybe she isn't feeling well." Roy said.

"Could be." Link nodded sadly.

"GUYS! GUYS!" Owain shouted panicky as he and Lucina hurried towards their friends.

"What's wrong?" Ike worriedly asked as Lucina and Owain panted for air.

After catching her breath, Lucina anxiously asked, "Ok, you know the street next to the coffee shop, church, and the art wing?" She hoped her friends knew what she was talking about, as she was not good at describing streets.

"Yeah?" Ike asked.

"There has been a car accident there!" Lucina answered nervously. "Usually at this time, Marth arrives at school. He usually comes down that street and—!"

Ike quickly interrupted, as he already knew what Lucina was trying to tell him. "Let's go now!" he exclaimed, running out of the PAC.

"Wait for us!" Red called after the bluenette, quickly dumping his 3DS into his backpack before catching up with his friends.

As he hurried out of the school with his friends, thoughts began to rush through Link's mind. Wait... Normally, Zelda would arrive at school at this time like Marth... There might be a chance that— Link's azure eyes widened in terror.

_ "No!" _he gasped to himself. _"Please, not this time!"_

When Ike and the gang arrived at the accident, they were terrified by the scene. Four cars were involved in the tragedy. A yellow sport car was smashed into a fire hydrant, causing icy water to spew all over the street. A dark blue car was collided with a flaming red car. Worst of all, a purple car was flipped upside down. Students gathered around the scene, murmuring to their peers nervously. A few policemen were cautiously guiding the traffic.

"Marth?" Lucina called. "MARTH?!"

"Do you see him?" Ike asked, looking around.

"I see the car!" Owain pointed to the dark blue car. "But no Marthy!"

"MAAAARTH!" Roy screamed.

"Uh, what?" Marth's timid voice caused his friends to turn around at face him with a shocked expression. Standing next to him was Zelda.

"Marth!" Ike said as he, Roy, Lucina, Owain, and Red surrounded him. "Are you ok?!"

"I'm ok, I guess." Marth shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry. Nobody got hurt. All of the drivers are over there."

Marth pointed to the small group of furious men cursing at each other. As a wife held back her agitated husband back with all of her strength, Chrom held his older brother-in-law Mr. Lowell back. Frederick and another police officer named Stahl had to tackle two fighting drivers.

"Thanks to you, our sports car is ruined!" The driver snarled at Mr. Lowell.

"Your careless speeding put my son's life in danger!" Mr. Lowell retorted bluntly.

"Thank Naga everyone is ok..." Lucina sighed in relief.

Yet, the relief only lasted a few seconds. A sudden thud caused Ike and his friends to look. They saw Link kneeling on the ground, frightfully gazing at the car accident. He began to shake uncontrollably. His skin was as white as paper and his azure eyes were as wide as eggs.

"No... No..." he only said. Link suddenly buried his face into his trembling hands. "N-N-NOOOO! PLEASE! NO! NOT AGAIN! NOT AGAIN!"

Ike quickly rushed to Link's side. "Link? What's wrong? Link!"

Link abruptly shoved Ike away, rolled onto the ground, and began to sob hysterically. "NOO! WHY!? WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN!?" he shrieked in between sobs.

Zelda immediately wrapped her arms around Link. "Link! It's me!" she said, trying to soothe the male. "Link! I'm ok!"

"Link, it's me, Marth!" Marth cried out, kneeling next to the hysterical Hylian.

"Go get a nurse quickly." Lucina sternly ordered Owain, who instantly hurried away.

Unable to hold in his uncontrollable emotions, Link buried his face into Zelda's shoulder and continued to sob loudly. Still trying to calm her boyfriend, Zelda gently stroked Link's head and whispered into his pointed ears, hoping that he could notice she and Marth were ok. Strangely, Link was trapped in the cage of silence and darkness. He could not break free of his terror.

"Mommy... Daddy..." Link managed to weakly choke out.

For the rest of the day, Link did not go to any of his classes. Ike was dreadfully worried. Was Link alright? Did he get a panic attack? Like the rest of his friends, Ike was shocked at the scene. However, his reaction was nothing compared to Link's.

Second to Red, Link was the calmest person Ike had ever known. He handled every situation cooly. Whenever he was faced with a frightening task, he stayed calm and tried his hardest. He was the living embodiment of courage. So why did he violently panic at the sight of the car accident, even though Zelda and Marth repeatedly told him they were ok? It did not make any sense.

Maybe it was trauma from the past that triggered Link's panic. Ike mentally slapped himself at the thought as he worked on his homework during Algebra 2. With a worried gaze, he glanced at Link's empty seat and sighed sadly. No, something terrible could not have occurred in Link's past! He was friendly, smart, loved to socialize with others... He was nearly perfect!

The next day, Link returned to school, much to everyone's relief. Nearly all of his classmates bombarded him with questions that asked him if he was ok. Flattered by the wave of attention, Link simply smiled and said. "I'm ok. Thank you."

Admittedly, Ike was tempted to ask Link why was he devastated and traumatized at the sight of the car accident. However, he kept his mouth shut. He did not want Link to panic at the remembrance of the car accident.

Near the end of eighth period, as the class was hanging around their desks, waiting for the bell to bring, Link announced something important to his friends.

"Guys, can I tell you something?" Link asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Ike replied.

"Well... My birthday is coming up and my family is planning to celebrate it early on this Saturday." Link explained. "I'm just letting you guys know that you are invited."

"That's awesome!" Owain remarked. "Thanks Link!"

"When does it start?" Pit asked.

"It starts at three in the afternoon." Link answered. "We're planning to have a sleepover. Just remember to bring some blankets, pillows, and a sleeping bag if you have one.

"I'm there!" Red said, looking up from his Gameboy.

"That's really great!" Marth exclaimed. "Well, I'm not sure if I can come, though... As you saw yesterday, my Dad's car got destroyed."

"Don't worry, I'll pick you up, Marth." Lucina reassured.

Marth smiled sweetly at his cousin.

* * *

On Saturday, Ike and Roy were dropped off at Link's house by Elena. Link's house was located in the countryside near Nintery. It was awfully big and nearly looked like a stereotypical home in movies. It was painted white with a brown roof. A well sat in the middle of the front yard.

"Wow... This home is big!" Ike commented, clutching the bag that held his sleepover essentials

"I know..." Roy whispered, nearly dropping his bag.

At the moment, the front door opened and out came Link.

"Oh, you guys are here!" he said with a smile.

"Whoa, your house is huge, Link!" Ike remarked.

Link blushed. "I know, it's kinda embarrassing in my opinion. Everyone said that when they saw my house."

"It's ok." Roy simply said.

"Are the others here yet?" Ike asked.

"Yeah, everyone is here." Link said. "C'mon, let's go inside."

Ike and Roy followed Link into his house. Inside, the first thing the two saw was Marth about to walk up the stairs to the second floor. In the family room, Red, Owain, Lucina, and Pit were playing a fighting game on the TV. Zelda just watched with a blond man in his late thirties, a twelve-year-old boy with light blond hair, and a little Hylian dressed in lime-green with bright yellow hair and cat-like eyes.

"Hey Ike and Roy!" Marth greeted with a sweet smile.

"Hi, Marth!" Ike replied.

Roy smiled back.

"This home is really big, isn't it?" Marth asked.

"Yeah, it is!" Roy answered.

"Let's put your stuff upstairs first." Link said. "Don't worry, we have enough room for everyone!"

The blond man took notice of Link's friends and went to them. "Do you three need my help?" he asked.

"No, we're ok!" Ike answered.

Link blinked awkwardly. "Oh yeah! Guys, this is my Dad!"

"I'm Rustl." Link's father said.

"Nice to meet you." Link's three friends said as they shook Rustl's hand.

"If you're wondering where is my wife, she is currently at the hospital." Rustl stated, nothing the confusion that shone in Marth's cerulean eyes. "She is expecting a child."

"That's nice!" Marth replied.

Ike noticed something strange. Link's ears were pointed, which displayed his Hylian heritage. However, Rustl's ears were rounding, indicating that he was just a human. That was a bit strange. Maybe Link's mother was a Hylian and Link got his ears from her! Ike began to ponder as he followed Link, Marth, and Roy up the stairs.

As they set their stuff in a large, attic-like room, Link caught Ike lost in thought. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about something." Ike answered.

"What is it?" Link asked again.

"Well, if I tell you, you might be offended." Ike warned, taking out his pillow.

"Don't worry, I won't!"

"You're a Hylian, right?" Ike began. "So, why is your dad a human? Is your mom a Hylian?"

"No, both of my parents are humans." Link answered cooly, not sounding offended. "I'm adopted, along with my little brother Toon."

"I never knew that!" Ike replied.

"Me neither!" Marth said in surprise.

"Err, Link, I have a question." Roy spoke up, hoping that Link would not be offended. "What happened to your... Real parents?"

Link's calm expression fell to a sad look. "Are you guys sure you want to know? I don't want to make you sad for the rest of the day..."

"Yes, only if you want to tell us." Ike answered.

Link began his story. "Even though it had been nearly ten years, I still remember every single detail from that day. I remember that Mommy and Daddy picked me up school on my eighth birthday. We were driving to a daycare center to pick up Toon, who was only three. On our way, a speeding car hit us." Link inhaled before continuing. "I made it without injuries since I was sitting in the back. My parents on the other hand, died in the impact."

"That's terrible!" Ike gasped, his eyes wide with shock. "I can't believe that happened to you!"

"I never knew that happened!" Marth said. "Then again, I moved to Smashville when I was eleven..."

"That's why you panicked at the car accident scene!" Roy said as the gears in his brain turned.

Link nodded with a solemn expression. "Yes. As a result from the car accident, I developed a fear of cars. My fear has gotten better. Before, I froze at the sight of a car, even if it's parked. Now, I panic whenever I see a car accident, whether it is in real life or in a movie."

"That's really sad..." Roy sighed as tears filled his eyes. He could not believe Link had to go through this traumatizing event when he was little.

"I know." Ike agreed with Roy's statement. "It must be terrible for your parents to pass away on your birthday. Then, you have to face the consequences... I'm really sorry, Link."

All of a sudden, Link looked down at the floor and began to giggle quietly. Ike, Roy, and Marth gave him a strange look. Hey, they were talking about a depressing event that occurred in Link's past! Why was he giggling?

"Link, are you ok?" Marth slowly asked.

Link laughed out loud. "Don't worry, I'm ok!" he managed to say happily.

"I don't mean to be rude but, why are you laughing?" Ike asked, very confused. "We were just talking about a tragic event that happened in your life!"

"It damaged you!" Roy added.

Link finally stopped laughing. With a cheerful smile, he looked at his friends and said, "Yeah, my parents' death was really tragic. I sometimes wish that it never happened, since I love them a lot."

"Sometimes?" Roy asked. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, if my parents never died, then I wouldn't be the Link you know!" Link explained. "Ever since that day, I learned to appreciate my friends and family. I didn't let that day bother me for the rest of my life! I took it as a chance to become stronger for everyone!"

"Oh... Link..." Roy said, giving Link a huge hug. Marth and Ike joined in the embrace.

Link hugged his friends back. Once when he released his friends from the embrace he said, "C'mon, let's join the others and get this party started!"

* * *

That night, after hours of playing video games, socializing, eating, and getting ready for bed, Ike and his friends watched a movie. The gang sat on the floor and gazed at the flashing TV with interest. A bowl full of popcorn and cans of soda stood next to them. Rustl was asleep, while Colin and Toon joined their older brother and his friends.

The movie was about a Pokemon who was created by a lab experiment. Displeased with the fact he was just an experiment and was used like a tool, he fled to an island and plotted revenge against humanity.

At the climatic part, when all of the main characters confronted the Pokemon, he said to them, "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."

That quote etched a thought in Ike. Maybe some things in life were seemingly bounded together in indestructible fate. However, fate did not fully determine the outcome. It was the individual's actions that determined his fate. Fate was like clay. Although it hardens over time, it can be molded into many shapes. In order for it to turn into a shape, it needed change.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Good job Link! You actually turned a bad situation into a good outcome instead of whining about it!**

**Here's chapter 18! I think this pretty much covers Link's past. And yes, I just needed to add another car accident on a birthday here. I couldn't think of anything else to be honest. BTW, the movie featured in this chapter is supposed to be Mewtwo Strikes Back, so I don't own the story and the quote. (Just like the characters. They belong to Nintendo.) **

**By the way, the fanfic is nearly finished! **

**Story Questions: **

**If something tragic happened in your life, would you dwell on the event for the rest of your life or try to make the situation a good outcome?**

**Is the pace of the story well? **

**So far, who do you think is the strongest character in the story? **


End file.
